A Happy Ending
by newiceauthoress
Summary: [Complete]Years after Slade has been defeated and the Titans disbanded, Raven suddenly starts to bring them back together. But she has a reason...
1. Raven's POV

Author's Warning: Characters may, and probably will, be OOC, especially Terra because I have not seen many episodes with her. But I'll try my best.  
  
Years ago, Slade was finally and successfully imprisoned. With their nemesis defeated, the Teen Titans had broken up and gone their separate ways.  
Beast Boy had left the city, claiming he would return when after he became the champion of the video game he and Cyborg always played, though there was obviously more to it than that. He still fought crime, but apparently not as often as he used to.  
Starfire returned to her home planet, stating that she missed her parents. She had promised to come back when she could, but not a word had been heard from her since.  
Terra moved to a different city as well. She had left without an explanation. She continues to work on stregthening and controling her powers.  
Robin had returned to Gotham City to train with and become a sidekick to Batman again. He had not been the same after Starfire left.  
Cyborg remained at the Tower, keeping it up for if and when the others returned. He spent most of his time working on his car and improving other Titan technology.  
I also left, moving the farthest away, with the exception of Starfire. The neighborhood I moved to was high in crime, and I cleaned it up rather well, creating an information network in the process by doing favors and saving lives. By calling in favors I was able to check up on my former teammates, even Starfire. Soon after I moved I was able to lock Anger away. However, the barrier is fragile, so I am careful about how much emotion I show.  
Life was continuing, even if it wasn't perfect. But then I learned it was farther from perfect than I thought.


	2. News

"How bad is it?" Raven spoke in her monotone voice to the woman dressed in white who stood before her.  
The doctor gave a sad sigh. "Your body is slowly deteriorating, and has been doing so for some time. My guess is, because of your healing powers you didn't notice it sooner. The cause is still undetermined, so I'd like you come back for some more tests..."  
Raven interrupted the woman. "No, I already have an idea of the cause. There is no need for the tests." Raven could tell the doctor wanted to question her, but instead remained silent. "How long do you estimate I have?"  
"So you already know it's fatal, then?" The doctor wasn't expecting an answer, the question was really more of a comment. She continued, "Well, with a normal person, I would give it weeks. But with your powers, I could not even begin to guess. It could be months or even years. I'll look into finding something to help you with the information I've already gathered."  
Raven thanked the doctor, neither her voice nor face betraying any hint of emotion, and left the building.  
She knew the cause of her 'illness' was Anger. But for once she had no idea what, if anything, she could do. Meditating would help, but Raven doubted she could stop Anger without releasing her from her fragile prison.  
Raven, instead of bothering looking for a cure that didn't exist, took her sudden shortening of life as a sign. She decided to make what time she had left something she could look back on her last months or years with a happy heart. Raven smiled grimly at the irony of her words.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the shortness of the chapters! Hopefully they'll get longer. Ideas and suggestions are very much appreciated! 


	3. Cyborg and Starfire

Raven's first move, she decided, would be to move back to the Tower. That is, of course, if Cyborg didn't mind. For all she knew he had turned her room into a gym. Not owning anything of importance to her besides her mirror, Raven had no need to pack. She simply flew back to the Tower.  
  
At Titan Tower, Cyborg was on his way to the garage when he heard the front door open. Suspicious, he quietly crept back down the hall, readying his sonic cannon. He was about to round the corner when a familiar monotone voice spoke. "Cyborg, it's me."  
"Raven?" Cyborg asked, turning the corner. His cannon changed back into a hand. "Is it really you?"  
Raven quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's me. You don't seem to have changed much." He looked exactly as she remembered him, except maybe a little older.  
"You don't seem too different either." She still wore the same dark costume, but she had grown a little as well. Her skin was still as pale as ever. She pulled down her hood revealing the same violet eyes and purple hair. "So, Raven, why are you here?"  
She looked down. "Um...I was wondering...if it would be all right...if I moved back in?"  
Cyborg was silent from shock for a moment, but then he cracked a wide smile. "Of course! You have as much right to be here as I do."  
Raven gave a small smile, surprising Cyborg again. Smiles had been so rare from her before. "I hope you haven't done anything to my room."  
"Nope. I haven't touched it. C'mon, I'll show ya."  
As they were walking down the hall, Cyborg turned to look at her. "I don't know why you're here, but it's good to have you back, Rae."  
Raven looked at him, her eyes revealing nothing. "It's good to be back," she said.  
  
Things soon returned to a semblance of normal between Raven and Cyborg. Raven still spent much of her time meditating and Cyborg spent his with his car, but she would join him for breakfast each morning, even if it was just to sit in companionable silence; Cyborg eating pancakes and waffles while Raven sipped her tea. Sometimes she'd join him for pizza during dinner. When they did talk, they usually spoke of the past, of the good times the Titans shared with each other. Raven never mentioned her sudden appearance, and Cyborg never asked.  
  
One night, about a week after she had returned, Raven sat in her room contemplating what she would do next. She decided to find Starfire. Raven wanted another girl in the house, and she did not feel like putting up with Terra at the moment. She resolved to tell Cyborg she'd be leaving for a while the next morning.  
"Cyborg?" Raven said. He looked at her, his mouth full of waffles. "Um, I need to go for a little while—there's something I need to do. I should be back in a few days, no more than a week."  
Cyborg finished chewing his mouthful and swallowed. "Uh, okay, Rae. I guess I'll see you when you get back." He new better than to ask the mysterious girl what she was doing when she didn't seem to want to share. In truth, Raven thought bringing Starfire back with her would be a nice surprise for Cyborg.  
Raven nodded and, after rinsing out her cup, left through the front door. She had already arranged to borrow a jet from one of her many connections. Her trip to Tamaran was uneventful, and she arrived in less than two days.  
Using her powers, Raven located Starfire easily. She landed the jet and stepped out. As soon as she set foot on solid ground, Raven cringed as a high-pitched squeal of delight pierced the crisp air.  
"FRIEND RAVEN!!!" Starfire hugged Raven so tight that Raven thought she might suffocate before they even got to speak. Finally, Starfire let go. She had not changed, except for her hair, which had grown longer, and was currently in a simple braid at her back.  
"It's good to see you, too, Star," Raven said in her emotionless voice, but she let a small smile grace her face.  
"Friend Raven, why have you come to my home planet of Tamaran?" Starfire asked, looking confused.  
"I came to ask you to come back with me to the Tower." Starfire's face brightened even more, if that were possible, but then fell. Raven quickly read what was on her mind. "Your father passed away? I'm sorry, Star." Raven gave her a hug.  
"Yes," she said sadly. "It is Tamaranian custom to mourn for five years at the death of one you care very much for."  
Raven nodded. "But the important thing, Star, is that he will always be with you, in your heart."  
"My father is in my heart?" Starfire asked, confused.  
Raven tried to explain, "The love you and your father shared will mean you'll never be apart. He'll always watch over you, and be in your memories. I'm sure he is touched by your sorrow over his death, but wouldn't he want you to be happy?"  
Starfire thought over her words for a moment before agreeing. "Raven, you are right." She smiled. "I would love to return to Earth with you and see all of our friends."  
"Especially Robin?" Raven teased slightly. Starfire blushed. Raven gave Starfire a reassuring smile. "He misses you as well, Star. He hasn't been the same since you left." Raven saw hope light up her friend's eyes. "Come, let's go home."  
They both entered the jet. "Raven, whose ship is this. It does not belong to the Titans, does it?"  
"No," Raven smiled mysteriously. "I have my connections." Then her face grew serious. "Many of us have changed since you left." Raven went on to explain to Starfire about the disbanding of the Titans, and the little she knew about each of their lives now.  
"So, Robin is not at the Tower?" Starfire asked a bit sadly.  
Raven nodded. "He will be," she assured her friend. "And don't forget, Cyborg is there."  
"Of course! I cannot wait to see friend Cyborg again." Raven returned the borrowed craft, and then she and Starfire flew back to the Tower. Raven smiled as Starfire gave Cyborg a hug that was just as bone crushing as the one she'd received.  
"Great, now I'm outnumbered," Cyborg complained jokingly. Raven's smile widened a bit at the comment, but then she heard a slight crack. She turned to find a nearby light bulb with a sliver of a crack in it. Her face paled with fear, but she quickly regained her composer, her emotionless mask back in place. Thankfully neither of her friends had heard the sound because they were deep in conversation. Raven decided to go and meditate on the roof while Cyborg and Starfire caught up on the last few years.

A/N: A bit of a longer one for ya! Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Robin

A/N: I just want to thank all of my readers! Replies to reviewers will be at the end of the chapters.

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With Starfire back at the tower, Raven's time for quiet meditation decreased dramatically. Starfire would often insist on going to the mall or cook food that had ingredients Raven didn't want to even guess at. She decided now would be a good time to find Robin and bring him back to the Tower.

Rather than submit to Starfire's endless questions, Raven simply left a note before leaving, saying only that she would be gone for a while and that they were not to worry.

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Once Raven had entered Gotham City, she went to Bruce's mansion. Alfred greeted her at the door.

"Miss Raven, it's good to see you," he said kindly. "Come in."

"Thank you," she replied, doing so. "Nice to see you again, as well, Alfred. Where is Robin?" Raven got right to the point.

"How did you know he was here?" Batman himself appeared next to Alfred, wearing a comfortable robe and slippers. "Robin said he didn't tell anyone, not even the Titans, since you had disbanded."

"I have my sources." Raven's voice was her usual monotone. Both men were taken aback by the mysterious cloaked girl's words. "So, where is he?"

"He offered to patrol the streets alone today, and I must admit that I welcomed the break.. He seemed rather passionate about it, now that I think back…"

Raven thought about his words and then put two and two together. _Ah_, she thought, _today is the anniversary of the disbanding of the Titans, the day Starfire left._

"If you would like to come in, we could call him…"

"No, thank you," Raven interrupted. "I'll find him on my own." With that, she thanked them again and left.

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Robin was running down an alley in pursuit of a mugger. There was nothing especially dangerous about him. He was just a common thief, albeit one with a knife and gun.

Running, focusing on something important, Robin didn't have to think about Starfire, or any of the other Titans for that matter. He hadn't heard a word from any of them, despite the promises made to keep in touch. _No,_ Robin told himself, _focus on what's in front of you. Don't look back_, he thought sadly.

Turning a corner, he found the man pointing the gun at him. Behind the robber was a brick wall, a dead-end. Robin had been caught up in his thoughts of the past again and had forgot to pay attention to what he was doing. He cursed himself mentally.

Suddenly the man's gun was encased in a ball of glowing black energy and shattered. Robin followed the stream of white-outlined black power to its source as Raven stepped out of the shadows.

"Hello, Robin," she said in her customary unvaried voice. Black energy bound the thief's hands before he could grab for his knife. The energy that suddenly wrapped around his ankles threw him off balance, causing him to fall flat on his face. "There. Now that we have nothing to distract us, I have a proposition for you."

"Wait. Hold on, Raven. What are you doing here? How did you find me?" Robin demanded. He noted she had grown both physically taller and more mature. But otherwise she seemed to be the same old Raven.

Raven sighed. Like the others, he had not changed much either. He still spoke with a leader's tone of voice that indicated he expected an honest answer right away. His costume was the same, though he had also grown taller and more muscular. And, Raven believed, that if it were not for his mask, Robin's eyes would be showing the unhappiness he was feeling, especially today.

"We have been not been apart for that long. You should know I found you with my powers." Raven answered his second question first. "As to 'why,' if you would have let me finish, I would have told you. I wanted to ask you if you would consider coming back to the Tower."

"What? Why? Why now?"

"Come, and I will show you." He still seemed skeptical. "I am certain you will like what I have to show you," Raven persisted, giving him an all-knowing smile. When his uncertainty didn't abate, Raven tried another approach. "If you come and look and still want to leave after, I promise neither Cyborg nor I will try to stop you."

"Cyborg's there?" Robin's interest was peaked.

Raven nodded. "He never left. You didn't know that?" He started to answer, but she shook her head. "Never mind. Do we have a deal? Do you really have any single good reason not to come?"

Robin looked at her for a while, then finally agreed.

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During the return trip, Robin did his best to convince Raven to tell him what was back at the Tower, but she wouldn't budge. Deep in his heart, he secretly hoped it was Starfire, but his common sense discredited the dream. After all, wouldn't Raven have told him?

As Raven sensed Robin's inner battle, she was tempted to tell him the truth, but she had not forewarned Starfire. Besides, seeing the other's reaction would hopefully help their relationship, as neither seemed brave enough to speak of their feelings.

Thankfully for Raven, the return trip was as short as the one to Gotham City had been, and she was saved from giving in by the sight of the large T-shaped tower on the horizon.

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Raven decided to have Robin see Cyborg first, since she planned on Robin and Starfire greeting each other alone, Cyborg would have to know their former team leader was back so he wouldn't disturb them.

Using her powers, Raven sensed that Cyborg was in the garage again and Starfire was in the kitchen. Raven's stomach flopped at the thought of the alien girl cooking another foreign dish.

As Raven and Robin headed to the garage, Raven glanced over to see Robin staring, deep in thought, at the Tower.

"Strange being back, isn't it?" She hadn't need to read his mind to know what he was thinking. "Brings back memories," Raven said quietly with a small sigh. But she strengthened her resolve and beckoned Robin towards the garage.

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Cyborg was shocked when his leader and friend suddenly walked though the door.

"Robin? Hey, man! It's great to see you again! But why are you…" Raven appeared behind Robin. "Oh, well that explains it, I guess." Robin looked confused, but Cyborg either didn't notice, or chose to ignore it. "So, have you see—" Robin's heart leapt in hope, but he quickly quieted it

"Not yet," Raven answered, cutting Cyborg off.. Her voice held a warning tone in it. "I was just going to show him now."

Cyborg nodded and, taking the hint, went back to working on his car.

Raven then led Robin towards the kitchen. She stopped when the clattering of pots and pans could be heard, as well as soft humming. Robin went forward, not even noticing that his companion had stopped.

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Starfire looked up when she sensed that she was not alone in the room anymore. Looking up, expecting to see Cyborg or perhaps Raven, she was shocked to see Robin standing before her, his eyes as wide as her own. She wondered how long he hand been standing there.

"Robin! It is good to see you again!" Starfire, the first to break the stunned silence, ran up to the Boy Wonder.

Robin looked down at her happy face, the same one he remembered, except for her lengthened hair, which flowed freely down her back in shining waves of orange fire. He shook the thought away and returned her smile. "It's great to see you again, too, Star," he said, using her nickname.

"Robin, if I may ask…why did you leave the Tower? When I returned, only Cyborg and Raven were here, and…" Robin didn't hear anything else she said, as he asked himself the same question.

"Robin?" Starfire looked him directly in his eyes, bring him back from his thoughts. "Will you not answer my question as to why you left our home?"

"I—it was because…well, you see…" Robin stammered.

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To my reviewers:

tayk(): That's a possibility…

Kat-23: Thank you!!!

TeenTitansGirl14: Thanks! I haven't decided who, if anyone, Raven will end up with, but there's definitely a possibility of a CyRae. I'll try and keep your advice in mind. Thanks so much! And yeah, I felt bad about how short the first couple of chapters were so I stayed up late to do a longer one.

DarkXeno(): You bring up a good point. I'll be answering that in later chapters. The next one will say why Robin left. Thanks for reading! And the book you mentioned doesn't sound familiar to me…? And good luck with your fic!

pools of sorrow(): Yeah, I'm trying to slow down a bit. Sorry it was kinda confusing, I'll be sure to work on that. Hope you liked the latest chapter!

steph4nie-ff: Thanks! Hope you enjoyed chapter 4. I'll update soon I hope.

dana1313: Here you go! I hope you liked it, I'll try to get the next one up quickly.

Thank you all of you!!!!!!!


	5. Beast Boy

A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to update!!! I hope the length makes up for it a little.

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_I left because the Tower wasn't the same with you gone_. _Nothing would ever be the same without you. _Raven read Robin's mind. She had not meant to intrude, but she had left her room in the hope that Starfire and Robin had already gotten over the shock of seeing each other again. Besides, she hadn't eaten anything in a long time and she wanted some tea.

But upon hearing Starfire's question, Raven had stopped before entering the room, and Robin's thoughts entered her head, unbidden. She waited for Robin's answer as anxiously as Starfire did.

"…I…I don't know," Robin finished lamely.

"Oh," was all that Starfire said.

_Idiot! _Raven thought. _All he had to do was tell her the truth!_ She let out a silent sigh. Why couldn't they admit to the love they had for the other, even if they couldn't see the love the other held for them? True, she did not show emotions, but the destruction of the city seemed like a pretty damn good reason to her. What was their excuse? She would have a lot of work a head of her if she was going to get them to confess their feelings.

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Raven was deep in meditation when Starfire opened the door to the roof. "Friend Raven, I was wondering if I might have a word with you…" Starfire trailed off as Raven opened one eye to regard her.

"Here?" Raven asked in her monotonously.

"Um…yes?"

"Fine." Raven lowered herself from her hovering position in the air, and stood before her friend.

Starfire was surprised at Raven willingness, but was still very pleased. "Really? Thank you!" Starfire enveloped Raven in a tight embrace.

"Star," Raven wheezed. "I can't talk if I can't breath."

"Oh." Starfire quickly released her, looking somewhat guilty. "Sorry."

"Forget about it. So, what did you want to talk about?"

Starfire's face aquired a pink tinge. "Well, I wanted to speak with you…about Robin." Raven nodded and waited for her to continue. When Raven showed no sign of wishing to discontinue the conversation, Starfire was encouraged. "I have different feelings when I am around Robin that I do not feel when with friend Cyborg or you…"

"You love him," Raven said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"What? Are you certain it is love? Could it perhaps be simply that I like him more than other boys?"

Raven shrugged. "That's certainly possible. But good friendships tend to develop into love rather than a crush."

"Crush?"

"When you think you love someone, but the feelings soon disappear."

"Oh. Are you sure…"

"Yes, Star. My powers do include empathy—I can tell what you're feeling," Raven forestalled Starfire's request of an explanation by adding a definition. Raven paused, considering her next words. "You should talk to him."

"But, what if he does not feel the same way?"

"I will not speak for Robin. It's up to him to tell you how he feels." Starfire nodded. Raven hesitated before speaking again. "I'll be leaving again for a while. I suggest you take the time to talk to Robin. I'll speak with Cyborg to ensure you are given time alone."

Starfire smiled. "Thank you, Raven." She hugged her dark friend again, but more gently this time.

"What are friends for?" Raven replied, feigned sarcasm in her voice.

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Raven left directly after speaking with Cyborg.

Coincidentally, Raven's destination was Jade City.

Raven used her powers to locate Beast Boy, and found herself standing before an unmarked building. Trying the door, she found it locked. Near the door she noticed a device to swipe a key card through. When no one answered after she knocked, Raven simple went through the wall.

Appearing inside, Raven was immediately overcome by the sounds of whirring of machines and the clanging of metal. She was shocked to find herself in a gym. At least it explained why no one had heard her knock.

Raven shook off her initial surprise and scanned the large room for Beast Boy. She expected the small green boy to stand out easily amongst the large muscled men working out. However, Raven had to do a double take when she finally spotted him near the center of the room.

The petite boy she remembered was no more. Not only had Beast Boy grown taller, but his muscles had become extremely well-toned, though proportionally so. The rest of him—his hair, his eyes, his skin—however, had not been altered by time.

Mentally shrugging off her shock over the unexpected changes, Raven emerged from the shadows and walked towards Beast Boy. Nearly everyone stopped working as she passed, and a silence followed in her wake.

Finally noticing the sudden quieting of the room, Beast Boy looked up and his familiar green eyes widened.

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"Hello, Beast Boy." Raven said.

"Raven?! Dude, is that really you?!"

She just nodded, looking him up and down. "You have changed more than the others."

His joking demeanor had been subdued, his voice more serious than it used to be. "Yeah…wait, what others?"

"Cyborg, Starfire, Robin; all of them are at the Tower. I came to ask if you would come back as well."

"Wha—what about Terra?" he spoke hesitantly.

Raven opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted.

"Hey, BB!" A large, fit man walked over. Bleached bangs were brushed away from pale blue eyes. "This your girl?"

Raven glared at him with all the hate she could muster, and he involuntarily took a step back as Beast Boy shook his head, a bit stunned by the question.

"Hm. She's a cutie, even if she is a bit pale. She looks feisty." He attempted to drape an arm around Raven's shoulders, but she pulled away. Her eyes were starting to glow white.

Suddenly he was against the far wall, being forced against it by black energy. Then the dark force disappeared, and he dropped to the floor. But when he opened his mouth, no sound emerged.

As he panicked, Raven turned back to the Changeling. "I was going to say—before I was so rudely interrupted—that Terra has not returned to Titan Tower. Not yet, at least. I believe she will be there soon."

Beast Boy was still overwhelmed by her earlier actions and took a moment to realize what she had said. "Really?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Would I lie to you?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. She sighed. "Yes, she'll come." Raven noticed the people around her, who had originally been too frightened by her to get near, start to move forward as if to attack. "I think I'll be going now, with or without you." With that, Raven turned to leave, levitating over anyone to moved to block her exit. She left through the wall, juast as she had entered.

Beast Boy hesitated only a moment before following.

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Outside, Raven stood waiting as Beast Boy came through the door.

"Hey, Raven? What happened in there?"

"I learned a few tricks while I was away. You're not the only one who has changed. Don't worry, his voice will return in a couple of hours," she reassured him in her usual tenebrous voice. "Now it's my turn to ask you a question. Why did you leave?" He started to answer, but she cut him off. "Don't give any of that video game training crap either. That's obviously not the case."

He gave her a quick glance before answering. "You remember our last fight with Slade?" Raven nodded. "Well, let's just say it wasn't the best I've ever done. It seems like every time I was in trouble, Terra or someone else would have to save me. I wanted to be stronger so I could stand up for myself as well as others. And…" He trailed off, blushing.

"You wanted to impress Terra," Raven finished.

The Changeling nodded, still looking embarrassed. "I mean, after Robin left, I knew the Teen Titan's couldn't be the same. But then I never heard from anyone. I came to workout here so often they finally offered me a job." He shrugged. "I guess that's all there is to it. I guess you could say I've just been waiting for the Titans to get back together." He paused. "So, were you, like, chosen to find everyone? Why did you come?"

"With my powers, I suppose I'm the one best suited to finding each of the Titans again," Raven replied, not really answering his question. Beast Boy didn't question her further.

"So, you ready to go?" he asked, a bit of his old self returning.

Raven was about to agree, when suddenly she sensed Terra near by. Why not kill two birds with one stone? she figured. Or as she liked to say, capture two stones with one bird. Raven shook her head at Beast Boy. "I still have some things to do here. Go on without me." When he looked about to protest, she continued. "You do remember how to get to the Tower, don't you?"

"Of course," he retorted, indignant.

"Then I shall see you there later." With that, she flew off before he could say any more.

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Raven landed in the shadows on a nearby rooftop. As she watched Beast Boy change into a green pterodactyl and fly away, Raven was overcome by a series of coughs, separated only by several sneezes.

"My immune system must be weakening," she said quietly to herself. She rarely got sick.

Straightening, Raven flew off into the blood-red sky created by the setting sun.

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Replies to my reviewers:

Eyes of Nevermore: Sorry for the wait. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try and write more soon. Thanks for the review!

DarkXeno(): Well, I hope the explanations for Robin and BB were okay. I hope you liked it. Keep writing. Us authors have to stick together! ;)

dana1313: Sorry I took so long! I hope you liked reading it!

Raven777: Thanks very much! I guess this chapter answered your question. :)

Arrendi: Thanks! I'm really glad you like my story and I'm sorry I took so long to post again. (I've had a friend here from out of town, but she's leaving soon so hopefully I can write more then.) Thank you again!

TeenTitansGirl14: I'm working on sticking to the advice you gave me. I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you liked this one. Sorry it's been a while, hopefully the next one won't take as long. Thank you!!

bunny133: Thanks so much! I'm happy you enjoyed it. To answer your question, Cyborg was going to ask Robin if he'd seen Starfire yet.


	6. Terra

"BB?"

"Beast Boy?"

"Friend Beast Boy!"

Beast Boy was surrounded as he entered the living room of Titan Tower. The Changeling smiled. "Wow! You guys are all really here!"

"Yeah," Cyborg replied, then added. "Whoa, BB, man, have you working out? Where ya been?"

The three Titans quizzed each other on the past few years, until Starfire asked, "Friend Beast Boy, why did you return so unexpectedly?"

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Raven spotted Terra walking into an expensive-looking apartment building. She had changed the most of all the Titans.

Her clothes were similar to those she had worn when she had first met the Titans—a gray and black half shirt over a white, three-quarter sleeved shirt and blue jean shorts. She still wore brown gloves, but she had exchanged her boots for fancy tan sandals. Streaks of auburn had been added to her blond hair. Her goggles—before tinted blue—now had green lenses, and hung around her neck. Her skin was not as pale as it used to be. And Raven would swear she was wearing just a hint of make up.

As Raven watched, the doorman greeted her courteously and held the door open for her. Raven waited a moment before crossing the street and approaching the man.

"Excuse me. I'm here to see Terra," Raven said emotionlessly.

The man nodded politely. "Take the elevator to the very top."

Raven's eyes widened. Terra lived in the penthouse? Mentally shaking herself out of her surprise, Raven thanked the man and followed his instructions.

The metal doors of the elevator slid open to reveal an elaborate living room. Raven noted the velvet couches, big-screen TV, and even a small fountain. She stood on a polished wood floor. The connecting kitchen had marble countertops with a double sink and a large refrigerator.

"R-Raven?" Hearing her name brought Raven out of her examination of Terra's home. Raven turned to look at the girl. "What are you doing here?" Terra obviously was not sure how to react to seeing Raven in her apartment.

"You've certainly done well for yourself," Raven commented, completely ignoring her question.

"You could say that," Terra said, her initial shock abating.

"Can I ask you something?" Raven inquired suddenly.

"You can ask," Terra replied, suspicious.

"Why did you leave the Titans?"

Terra seemed to debate with herself whether or not to answer Raven.

"I won't tell anyone."

Terra looked at her, and acceded. "There wasn't really any reason for me to stay."

"But, Beast Boy—" Raven started to interject, but Terra cut her off.

"—showed no signs of caring for me any more than the other Titans," Terra finished. Raven hated to admit it, but what she had said was very close to the truth. "And then he didn't even to try to stop me from leaving."

Raven started to speak again, but thought better of it and changed what she was about to say. "But you do still care for him, don't you?" She asked, looking pointedly at her different color goggles.

Terra blushed, and nodded. Silence settled heavily between them. Finally Terra broke it. "So, what _are_ you doing here?"

Raven gave her a small, reassuring smile. "I've come to take you home."

Terra was quiet a moment, but then her demeanor brightened. "Are the Titan's reuniting?"

"They just might," Raven said quietly, more to herself than to Terra. "Does that mean you will come with me back to the Tower?" Terra nodded. _Well, that was easier than I thought it would be_, Raven thought to herself.

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As Raven and Terra left the building, Terra turned to Raven. "Hey, Raven?" Raven turned to regard the girl beside her. "Um, I just wanted to say, it's good to see you again."

Raven allowed herself a small smile. "Same here."

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"Um," Beast Boy answered, "Raven came to get me." All of the faces around him displayed astonishment. "What? What did I say?"

"Beast Boy, where is Raven now?" Robin asked.

"She said she had something else to do in the city, and told me to come here…"

The Changeling trailed off as the door opened to admit Raven. The cloaked girl stepped aside to reveal a much-changed Terra.

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"Friend Raven! Friend Terra!" Starfire enveloped Terra in one of her bone-crushing embraces.

"Hey, looks like the gang's all here!" Cyborg said cheerfully. "What do you say we go out for pizza to celebrate?"

A chorus of agreement followed. Everyone approved, except Raven.

"I'll pass, thanks," she said in her caliginous voice. "I'm a bit tired." Her lips twitched into the tiniest of smiles. "Have a nice night." Raven then turned and headed for her room. She knew the others would assume her fatigue was from her recent traveling, but, in truth, that was not the whole of it.

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The remaining Titans sat around the table eating the pizza that had just had delivered to the Tower. Despite being recently reunited, conversation was sparse, as all of them were confused over Raven's uncharacteristic actions.

"So, Terra, Raven found you, too?" Cyborg finally broke the most recent silence.

Terra nodded. "You mean she came for someone else?"

Cyborg nodded. "She suddenly appeared at the Tower and stayed for a little while. Then she left, and when she came back, Star was with her."

"Yes! Friend Raven came to my home planet to bring me back to Earth," Starfire said cheerfully.

"She came for me next," Robin said. "In Gotham City."

"Then me," Beast Boy added. He looked at Terra. "She must have went for you right after she found me. I got here only a little while before you and Raven showed up."

"I wonder why she did this? Not that I'm not glad you guys are back or anything," Cyborg wondered aloud.

"Maybe she missed us?" Beast Boy's voice held uncertainty.

Robin, ever the problem solver, added, "That could be it. We were probably some of the first, perhaps only, friends Raven has ever had."

"Yes," Starfire agreed solemnly.

"Hey," Terra spoke up. "Does anyone know why Raven left the Tower in the first place? I forgot to ask her myself."

The others shook their heads, realizing that, in their own shock at seeing her appear, they had forgotten as well.

"I don't know," Cyborg said. "I suppose you could be right about why she got us back together, but for some reason I think there's more to it than that."

The others nodded in silent agreement.

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To my reviewers:

DarkXeno(): If that's what happened to BB, they might just want to go! lol. Kidding. As for your story, I think Raven could be convinced to play a video game, at least one like Castlevania. I don't think it would be too OOC for her, but she might need a lot of persuading. :) For your other dilemma, I don't think anyone would mind as long as it isn't rated higher than R. Sounds like an interesting fic!

TeenTitansGirl14: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. Thanks for all of the compliments! I hope this chapter was okay.

black fire chain(): Thank you! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, too.

Raven777: I'm still not sure whether or not Raven will live or die, yet. Thanks for the review!

Aya Sadaka(): Thanks! None of the pairings are guaranteed to be permanent, so there's still a chance for a RaeBB. I'm still not sure. Don't give up yet!

Arrendi: Glad you're happy! As to your other comment, I just want to thank my reviewers for taking up their time to read and review my story. I really appreciate it. So, Thank You!!! 


	7. Advice

After waking up the next morning, Starfire, thinking about the conversation from the other night, decided to talk to Raven.

Starfire's serious face brightened. "Yes! Robin told me he has feelings for me as well!" Raven listened patiently as Starfire rambled onnal voice answered.

Starfire opened the door to see Raven, meditating, legs crossed, above her bed. Raven lowered herself to a sitting position on her bed as Starfire spoke. "Friend Raven, I was hoping we might speak."

Raven read from Starfire's mind what she wanted to talk about. To forestall Starfire's questions, Raven addressed Starfire first. "Did you talk to Robin?"

Starfire's serious face brightened. "Yes! Robin told me he has feelings for me as well!" Raven listened patiently as Starfire rambled on in her utter delight. Then Starfire sobered. "Raven, what is it that I should do next? What does one do after feelings have been admitted?"

Raven considered Starfire's question a moment before answering. "I think, Star, that is for you and Robin to decide." Starfire's face fell slightly. Raven put a hand on Starfire's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to be here if you need me for whatever reason, to talk or otherwise," Raven added.

Starfire smiled and hugged Raven. "Thank you."

Raven just smiled in return. "Let's go get some breakfast before the others start to wonder where we are."

As they walked down the hall, Starfire realized that Raven had completely avoided being questioned.

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Some time after breakfast, Terra walked up to Raven's door, then turned back around, again questioning her sanity. She stared at the door, debating with herself for the hundredth time about her decision.

She was just about to turn and walk away when Raven's voice called from behind the closed door. "Come in, Terra."

Terra cautiously opened the door. Raven was sitting on her bed reading a book, which she closed once Terra entered. "Sorry to bug you, but I needed to talk and Star's nice and all but…"

"I understand," Raven interrupted. "Have a seat." Terra did, and Raven waited for her to begin. When she didn't, Raven started for her. "You like Beast Boy."

Terra's eyes widened for a moment. "Oh, yeah. That whole mind-reading thing."

"Empathy," Raven corrected. "Never mind. That's not what you're here to talk about."

Terra nodded. "Do—do you think he likes me, as…more than a friend?" Her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"I think, that is for him to tell you himself."

"But if he does care for me, why didn't he try to stop me from leaving?"

Raven was silent a moment before she spoke. "You did want to leave, didn't you? If that was what you truly wanted, who was he to keep you from that? The ultimate sacrifice for those you care about is putting their wants and needs before your own." Terra looked at her in shock, and realization at the truth of her words. "But," Raven added sternly. "I don't want to put words in Beast Boy's mouth. You should ask him."

Terra nodded. "I will." She stood to leave. "Thanks, Rae. You—you're a good friend."

"Your welcome. Thanks for trusting me. Know that my door is always open if you need to talk, even if it's not literally."

Terra smiled and closed the door behind her, glad she had come.

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In an attempt to find peace and quiet to meditate, Raven went to the roof. But she was soon interrupted by the opening of the door behind her.

"Raven? Are you up here?" Robin asked.

Raven let a silent sigh escape her before standing up and turning to face Robin.

"Sorry to disturb you, but… I just wanted to thank you for, well, getting me and Star together, I guess."

She nodded, but, sensing there was something he needed to talk about, she asked, "What is it?"

He released his own sigh, as if he had been hoping she'd ask him so he wouldn't have to be the one to begin. "Well, Star told me that you two talked and she repeated some of the things you said…"

She gave him a small yet reassuring smile. "I'm listening."

He gave an almost relieved smile in return and continued. "Well, I guess I'm kinda stuck on what to do next."

Raven nodded. "You may be uncertain, but imagine how Starfire must feel, not being from Earth. She knows little enough about our holidays; dating is entirely exotic to her. She's going to look to you for guidance." She paused. "But seeing as you're both so unsure, it seems that you will most likely learn together. I imagine that few experiences could make you closer."

Robin looked at her, in awe of her advice. She seemed to know just what to say. "Thanks, Raven." She waved off his gratitude. "Okay, I'll let you get back to your meditation," he said as he headed for the door.

"Good luck," she said, eyes already closed. "And, Robin, know that if you ever need to talk…"

He nodded. "Thanks." The door shut quietly behind him.

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Raven skipped lunch, so Beast Boy went to check on her. She'd been missing a lot of meals lately. Everyone had noticed.

"Hey, Raven?" Beast Boy called as he knocked on her door.

"What?" was the answer he received.

"I was just wondering if you were hungry. I brought you some tea…"

Raven opened the door, stepping to the side to allow him in. "That's your excuse?" she asked.

"Wha—what are you talking about?" Beast Boy knew she could see right through him.

She gave him a knowing look. Taking the tea she sat down on her bed. "So, what did you want to talk about? Terra spoke with you, didn't she?"

The Changeling looked flabbergasted at her words. "Yeah, but, how did you…"

"Never mind that," Raven interjected crisply. She softened her voice. "Why did you come here?" She was feeling like quite the consultant today.

"Well, actually, I went to Robin, first. But he said I should talk to you…" He looked at her. No scorn or annoyance was visible in her demeanor. She just sat, waiting patiently for him to continue, occasionally sipping her tea. "I like Terra, a lot. And now I know she likes me, too, which is great. But, what's next? I mean, a date seems kinda awkward, ya know?"

Raven nodded, thinking. Suddenly, an idea came to her. "Why don't you talk to Robin again. See if you two can't arrange a double date," Raven advised.

Beast Boy perked up. "Hey, Rae, that's a great idea! Thanks!" He rushed to the door, but stopped just before closing it. "Um, Raven? If I ever need to talk again, like this, ya know, would it be all right if…" He spoke slowly, uncertain.

Raven nodded. "Any time."

He grinned and left. Raven let out a tired sigh. Well, at least Cyborg shouldn't be coming to her with girl trouble.

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"So, what should we have for dinner tonight?" Cyborg asked. Everyone was gathered in the living room.

"Um, actually, Cy, Star and I are going out on a date along with Terra and BB. Sorry we didn't tell you earlier."

Cyborg was surprised, but he had seen this coming. "That's okay. More for me," he replied with a grin.

"Do not forget friend Raven," Starfire added.

"Don't worry about me, I'm not hungry." Raven didn't even look up from the book she was reading.

The other Titans glanced at each other, but said nothing.

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"All right, y'all! Have a good time!" Cyborg saw the two couples off.

When he reentered the living room he looked at Raven. "So, Rae, you want to watch a movie or something?"

Before Raven could answer, sirens went off. Both of them rushed to the screen.

"Looks like a robbery. I'll call the others," Cyborg said, reaching for the page button. Raven's hand on his stopped him.

"No. It appears to be minor. Let's not call them unless we have to." Cyborg hesitated, but finally nodded.

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"What's the situation?" Cyborg asked the head policeman at the scene.

"We're still chasing a couple guys who made it to a car before we got here. There are at least two more still inside, with hostages."

Raven turned to Cyborg. "Think you can catch the ones in the car?"

"Of course. My baby could catch 'em in minutes."

"Okay. Then I'll take the ones inside."

"Sure you can handle it?"

Raven just gave him a look before she stepped out of the streetlight and melted into the darkness. Both Cyborg and the police officer looked for her in the shadows, but saw no signs of her.

After a moment, Cyborg realized he needed to go after the other robbers and headed for his car.

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Raven entered the building through a wall, still blending in with the shadows. She counted three masked burglars and eight innocent people being held captive. Eyes glowing white, she easily took the guns from the hands of the robbers.

A thrown chair knocked one down, unconscious. She lifted a second off the ground. The third sliced at her with a hidden knife he had pulled out. Raven was quick, and swiftly moved out of the way. The knife barely broke the skin of her arm. A pot crashed onto the third assailant's head. After binding the second man's hands and feet, Raven instructed the hostages to leave.

Raven left the way she had come, and watched, unseen, as police entered the building to take away the burglars.

When she saw the T-car pull up and Cyborg get out, Raven walked up to him.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"Quick. You? Is that blood?"

"It's just a scratch. It's already stopped bleeding."

"Okay, if you're sure." She nodded. "Ready to head back?" Again, a nod. Suddenly he grinned. "I wonder if the others had as interesting a night as we did," Cyborg wondered jokingly.

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To my reviewers:

TeenTitansGirl14: Thank you Thank you! Hope this chapter's length was a bit more to your liking.

TsukasaSIGN(): Thank you very much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too!

dana1313: That's okay. I'm also going to be going away for a while soon. Thanks for the reviews!

Arrendi: I'm glad you're happy. :) Thanks so much for the reviews!

2468(): Thanks! I'm pleased you liked it!

Aya Sadaka(): Thank you. I don't really care for Terra much either, but I'm trying not to be biased as I write this. Thanks again!

Eyes of Nevermore: I'm still indecisive about the ending, but if it does end sad, I will definitely write a sequel to make it happy. Thanks for the compliments! 


	8. Reunited

Cyborg and Raven entered living room a few minutes before the others returned from their double date.

"So," Beast Boy looked at Raven and Cyborg. "Did you two have fun while we were out?"

"Plenty," Raven replied with a sly smile. She turned and headed towards her room. "I'll be going to bed now," she said over her shoulder.

"What was that about?" Terra asked Cyborg.

"I'll explain later. So, how was your date?" Raven heard Cyborg say. She was still within earshot, so she stopped to hear their responses.

"Uh, good, I suppose," Robin said.

"Fine," said Terra.

"Wonderful!" Starfire exclaimed.

"Great," Beast Boy spoke.

Raven read in all of their minds that they planned to have a talk with her soon.

And they did.

Throughout the next day, Raven spent a minimum of an hour listening to her friends relate the happenings of the other night. She was somewhat surprised at the variety of responses.

Starfire, the first of the four to claim Raven's ear, was ecstatic, having thought from her little knowledge on the subject that the date went perfectly. Raven had had to listen to her chatter for nearly two hours. But Raven reminded herself that she didn't know how much more time she would have to be with her friend. She had to make every moment count.

Surprisingly, Robin was the next to approach her. He was uncertain if the date had been successful. It took Raven some time to reassure Robin that Starfire was happy with their date, and that was what mattered.

Terra had related the happenings of the date in almost as much detail as Starfire. Raven congratulated her and was surprised when Terra hugged her tightly in thanks.

Beast Boy had been nearly as unsure as Robin, but he had also had a great time. Raven encouraged him to ask Terra out again, this time without Robin and Starfire going along.

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Raven gave a weary sigh as she closed her door following Beast Boy's exit. She looked at the clock: three in the afternoon.

Raven plopped down on her bed, thinking about the dilemmas of her four friends. Suddenly she stood back up, realizing that she had been so preoccupied with Starfire, Robin, Terra, and Beast Boy that she had barely spent any time with Cyborg.

Grabbing a small cloth bag, she headed for the garage.

Cyborg was at a worktable when Raven walked in, his back turned towards her.

She approached him in her usual silent manner.

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Cyborg literally jumped when Raven suddenly appeared next to him.

"Sorry," she said. Her dark violet eyes dropped to what he had been working on. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I was just working on some additions to Robin's bo staff."

"Like what?"

Cyborg looked at her, trying to decipher whether or not she was really interested. Raven simply stared back at him, her look sincere. Finally, he answered. "Well, at the moment I'm working on making the ends detachable so it could be used like nun-chucks. But there's not enough room for the chain to retract."

Raven looked at the mess of metal and chain laying before them for a moment, as if trying to solve a difficult puzzle. "What if you used a wheel to make it similar to a pulley mechanism," Raven suggested.

"What?"

Raven pointed. "You're trying to fit two separate large chains into a rather slim staff. If you connect the two ends together by using only one chain, you can then use a wheel system to pull the chain back inside. It would also increase the range." Raven drew a quick sketch.

When she looked back at him, she found him staring at her, mouth agape. "Raven…That's brilliant! How did you…"

"I picked up a few things while I was away."

"Oh. Well, thanks, Rae. That's a great idea! By the way, was there something you wanted?"

Raven nodded. "Yeah, I was hoping you could take a look at something when you got a chance."

"Well, now that I know how to fix my problem, I can work on Robin's staff later. What did you want to show me?"

Raven moved to an empty worktable and set the bag that Cyborg hadn't noticed before on the counter. She slid two identical items from within the bag. At first glance they appeared similar to the thin sticks women sometimes put in their hair to make a bun more ornate.

A closer look quickly disproved the assumption. They were thin rods of metal that widened slightly at one end. Near the wider end were two buttons that could be held simultaneously with both the thumb and forefinger, and they appeared to be no more than decoration.

Raven picked one up and faced a wall meant for practice and experimenting with new or improved weapons.

"When the top button is pressed, a laser emerges," she explained as she demonstrated. "Then, when the bottom is pressed, it fires." A moment passed, and then all Cyborg saw was a streak of silver before there was a dart where the red light of the laser had been on the wall a seconds before.

"Wow. What came out of it?"

"A miniature dart. Some are filled with a muscle relaxant, others with a form of anesthesia, and a few with a substance that will cause temporary paralysis." She paused. "I was hoping you could help me erase the split second hesitation that occurs before the dart fires," Raven explained. "I was also considering making the laser beam visible only if special glasses are worn," Raven added. "Will you help me?"

"Of course, Rae. I think your problem is here…" he pointed.

Cyborg and Raven worked companionably for hours, though they completely lost tract of time.

Until the alarm sounded.

They rushed to where the others had gathered as well.

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"Looks like we've got a new bad guy on our hands. I get the feeling this won't be easy like the other night for Raven and Cyborg," Robin told them. "Be careful, everyone. Ready?" They all nodded. "Right. Then let's go." He turned and head towards the door.

No one else moved. "Um, Robin…" Starfire started.

Robin turned around to see them all still standing still. "What? We need to go."

"Robin," Raven said, bringing his attention to the cloaked girl. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

The others smiled slightly at Raven's phrasing. Suddenly Robin smiled as well.

"Yeah, you're right," he said with a grin. "Titans, GO!"

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The Teen Titans arrived at the location to find a cloaked man standing amidst a dozen police cars. Behind him was a jewelry store with a broken widow.

The hood of the man's dark green cloak was down, revealing shoulder-length brown hair and dark brown eyes.

"Ah, the Teen Titans, I presume. Took you long enough," he announced with a flash of white teeth. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Balavan. And this," he said, stepping to one side to reveal a girl they had not seen before, "is Saidi, my assistant."

The girl was nearly half the man's height and very thin, with shocking blue hair and astounding yellow eyes. Two slim antennae protruded from her hair. She otherwise appeared human, including her clothes—a plain white top and tight jean pants with tennis shoes—though she looked very uncomfortable in them.

Starfire gasped. "That girl! She is from a planet not far from mine! But I cannot think of the name. It is a very mysterious planet. I do not know more than that."

"That's okay, Star," Robin assured.

Raven noticed a thick metal strip wrapped firmly around one of the alien girl's wrists. The man, Balavan, wore a similar-looking ring. But before she could say anything, Robin spoke.

"Star, Raven. You two take the girl. The rest of you are with me. We're going after Balavan. Titans, go!"

The two female Titans followed Saidi when she ran back inside the jewelry store, while the remaining four faced Balavan.

The man reached into his cloak with both hands. He withdrew them holding five knives in each hand. He threw one at Robin, who dodged it easily. But much to the surprise of the Titans, the knife didn't slow down as it hit the windshield of a car behind them. Instead, it kept going, as if being pushed by an unseen force, until it broke through both the front and back windshields and lodged itself, hilt-deep, in a building fifty feet away.

The remaining Titans faced their enemy warily.

Though greatly outnumbered, Balavan was a match for all of the four with his flying knives and moves as swift as Robin's.

Terra, occupied with dodging another knife, didn't see Balavan appear next to her, and was knocked unconscious by a chop to the back of her neck.

Cyborg was next, when a knife lodged in his sonic cannon and it backfired on him.

Robin and Beast Boy, now extremely angry, readied to attack together. Suddenly, Raven was thrown from inside the jewelry store and landed violently on the street, unconscious, soon followed in the same manner by Starfire.

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Once Raven and Starfire spotted Saidi in the store, Starfire's hands and eyes glowed green, but Raven stepped in front of her friend. "Wait," she ordered. Raven cautiously approached the small girl. "What has he done to make you help him," Raven asked softly.

The girl looked up at Raven, her eyes widening, a hand unconsciously going to the bracelet. "He said if I was good, I could go home," the girl's voice was small and weak.

Raven reached for the alien's wrist. "Let me help you…"

The girl pulled back. "No! We'll both be hurt."

"I won't touch it. I promise," Raven tried to calm the girl. "He hurts you with that, doesn't he?" She nodded sadly. Starfire's eyes widened noticeably. Raven took a step forward. "Please, let me help…"

The girl shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

A sphere of yellow power formed between the girl's small hands and flew at Raven. The cloaked girl was sent flying out the already broken widow, gaining only a few cuts. But she was knocked unconscious either by the force of the blow or from her hard landing outside on the pavement.

Starfire's hands and eyes glowed a fiercer green than before. "You hurt Raven! And all she wanted to do was aid you!"

Starfire struck the blue-haired girl several times before a second yellow orb rendered her in the same state as Raven, though she flew further and landed with more force.

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Both boys were even more angered. Beast Boy changed into a green cobra and Robin charged in with a jump kick.

Balavan threw several knives at the spitting cobra, one catching the snake just above his middle. The knife kept racing through the air until it hit a wall. When Beast Boy changed back, he hung, unconscious from the shock, the knife in his right shoulder pinning him to the building.

Robin's kick, however, did not miss its target. Robin's foot contacted with Balavan's head, and the man was knocked back. Robin landed in a crouch, but as he straightened, he saw Balavan with five knives in one hand.

Robin jumped out of the way, noticing too late that the knives were not for him. One knife flew at each of his unconscious team members.

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I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July!

A/N: 'Balavan' is Hindu for 'powerful,' and 'Saidi' is African for 'helper.' Just in case you wanted to know how I came up with the names!

To my reviewers:

TeenTitansGirl14: I'm happy you liked it! When I went back to edit it I almost did laugh out loud at Raven's wonderful advice. :) Here was a slightly longer chapter for you. Thanks!!!!

Raven777: Thanks so much! Well, here it is!

Aya Sadaka(): Glad you like my pace. I know what it's like to be dying to know what happens next. Thank you for the compliments!

ravenrocks(): I haven't completely decided on the end pairings yet. All I will say is expect the unexpected. lol. Anyway, thanks for the review! Don't give up on me yet!

ShadowShard(): I'm glad you liked! I was worried Raven might get OOC, and I still am! It might be obvious already, but Raven is my favorite character, too. Thank you so much!002(): Thank you for the review. But if she told them it would just ruin the suspense, wouldn't it? ;)


	9. Invitation

A/N: I'm sorry to say that I'll be leaving on the 11th for the rest of the month, and I don't know how much, if any, computer/internet access I'll have where I'm going. I'll try to keep writing even if I can't post, though. Anyway, I just wanted to warn my readers and apologize in advance. I'll try and get up a couple more chapters before I leave. Thanks for reading, and on with the chapter!

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Black light surrounded the knives heading for five of the Titans, stopping them in midair mere inches from each person. Raven held her friends' lives in her hands. She had woken from her unconscious state, but was still lying her stomach on the ground, straining her powers to hold the knives.

Relieved, Robin turned to Balavan. "Looks like you're all out of options. You're going down."

Much to Robin's surprise, the cloaked man only flashed a smile. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeves. Saidi!"

The girl appeared, another yellow orb between her hands, aimed at the still unconscious Starfire.

"One wrong move," Balavan stated confidently, "And your friend is history."

The Boy Wonder was frozen in place, unsure how to proceed.

All of them seemed to have forgotten Raven.

Still holding the daggers back with her powers, she slowly rotated them around one-hundred-eighty degrees, and released her hold. The blades flew through the air faster than before, as a result of the releasing of their restricted energy.

Balavan, even with is quick reflexes, was unable to dodge the all knives flying at him from opposing directions. One struck is knee, causing him to fall. Another, guided by Raven's powers, hit his finger, shattering the ring.

Saidi instantly dissipated her globe and ripped off the restraining metal bracelet. She then ran to where the cloaked girl was pushing herself into a sitting position.

"Thank you, so much," the yellow-eyed girl said in her quiet voice. Despite the softness of her words, they held an infinite amount of respect and admiration. "Your name is Raven, isn't it?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, and don't mention it. Now you can go home. But if you ever come back to Earth, and I'm still around, look me up."

The alien girl nodded, thanked Raven again, and left.

Robin approached Raven as Saidi left. "Thanks. Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Where's Balavan?"

"I just delivered him to the police."

"Okay," Raven stood up. "Let's go help the others."

Robin went to Starfire's side, and Raven went straight to Beast Boy.

Removing the knife quickly but carefully, she caught the green boy as he slipped to the ground. Laying him down carefully, she placed her hand over his wound to heal it. She then healed Cyborg, Starfire, and Terra. As she was healing Robin's minor wounds, the others began to regain consciousness.

Raven was barely able to keep her eyes open as the Titans' returned to the Tower. Falling onto her bed the moment she entered her room, she could not remember ever being so fatigued in all her life. She fell into the dreamless sleep of one who has been exhausted to the limit, both physically and mentally.

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"Hey, guys!" Robin called after hanging up the phone. "That was Bruce. He informed me he's throwing us a party!"

"What for?" Beast Boy asked. The others looked curious as well.

"He said it's to celebrate of the reuniting of the Teen Titans."

"When is it?" Terra wanted to know.

"Tomorrow night, actually. He apologized for the late notice."

Starfire squealed in delight as the others began talking excitedly of the celebration to come. All except Raven, who didn't appear even slightly interested. She went back to the book she had been reading.

"Friend Raven, friend Terra and I shall have to go to the 'mall of shopping!'" Starfire announced happily.

Raven forced herself to be calm. "No, thank you," she said coldly. Starfire's face fell.

Terra tried next. "C'mon, Rae! It'll be a girls' night out! Please?"

Raven had never heard Terra say 'please' before, at least not to her. She didn't see how she could refuse with them both giving her such sad, pleading looks. She sighed in defeat.

That was answer enough for the other two girls. They each grabbed one of her hands and dragged her towards the door.

"We shall return in a few hours!" Starfire called merrily.

"Maybe," Terra added with a giggle.

Once at the mall, Terra and Starfire pulled Raven into almost every clothing store they saw and attempted to persuade her to try on dozens of outfits. But, as all of the clothes they chose were brightly colored and tight-fitting, their efforts were in vain.

Raven's disinterest did not discourage the other two from trying on almost every piece of clothing they found. Much to Raven's surprise, they often asked her opinion of the clothes they modeled for her. Raven tried her best to set aside her initial dislike of the clothing, and answer based on how each outfit looked on them. Raven was shocked—and secretly pleased—to find that they took her opinions seriously. The two girls ended up buying more clothes than Raven already owned.

With their clothes bought, however, the two girls turned their full attention to finding Raven suitable attire for the party.

After an hour of futile searching, Starfire and Terra decided to find something to drink. Raven declined their offer of getting her anything, sitting down in the nearest chair.

Right after her friends had left, Raven was approached by a saleswoman from a store they had exited a while ago. She was dressed completely in black with a red bandana over her jet-black hair.

"I think I have something that might interest you."

Curious, Raven followed the woman back to the store. She was led into a back room Raven hadn't noticed before where darker colored clothing was kept. The dress she was shown brought a small smile to her lips. It was actually something she would consider wearing. Thanking the woman, she gratefully bought the dress and returned to her seat just as Terra and Starfire appeared.

"What's that?" Terra was the first to notice the bag Raven carried.

"I bought something to wear."

"Oh! May we see? We must make sure it is appropriate."

"It'll be fine. Can we go now?"

"I would be worried, but seeing the store you bought it from reassures me," Terra said. "Okay, Raven. We won't peek, but you have to promise to wear it."

_Damn_, Raven thought. "Fine," she sighed.

As they walked out of the mall, Starfire chirped, "That was wonderful! Raven, did you also enjoy our time together at the 'mall of shopping?'"

"Yeah, c'mon, Rae, admit it. You had fun, didn't you?" Terra added.

"I guess," Raven replied, mostly because she did not want to hurt Starfire's feelings. But she had, in truth, enjoyed the time the three of them had spent together away from the guys.

The girls returned to find the boys, not surprisingly, playing video games. They didn't need to ask what the guys had done to keep busy while they had been at the mall.

Once the girls had put their things in their rooms and returned to the living room, Robin asked, "Anyone hungry for dinner?"

"I'll cook," Beast Boy stood up and headed for the kitchen.

"Oh no you don't," Cyborg headed after the green boy at a run. The familiar argument could be heard ensuing from the kitchen.

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As the others stuffed themselves with the variety of food arranged on the table, Raven simply picked at her food. For some reason she didn't feel very hungry, though she had barely eaten anything all day. In fact, she felt a bit queasy.

"Hey, Raven," Robin said, noticing her barely-touched food. "Are you not hungry?"

"I guess not," she replied.

"Will you not try some of the dish I made?" Starfire asked, shoving a dish with something shapeless and brown on it beneath her nose.

Raven felt her stomach tighten. "No, thanks," she forced out, feeling a clammy sweat cover her face and body. She was relieved her hood was up. "Excuse me." Raven quickly dumped her dishes in the sink and headed for her room, hoping that after some rest she would feel better.

But upon reaching her room, her stomach gave another heave, and she instead ran for her connecting bathroom, where she lost the little she had eaten that day. She dragged herself back to her bed, where she fell asleep on top of her sheets, not bothering to change into her pajamas.

Early the next morning, Raven went to see the doctor she had spoke with before. She was able to convince the woman to give her a prescription to ease, if not cure, the nausea that had plagued her the other night and would undoubtedly continue in the future.

Returning before the others had even woken up, Raven avoided any questions about where she had gone. And with the help of the medication, Raven's appetite returned almost to normal, and she had breakfast with the other Titans.

Seeing her eat a healthy amount of pancakes, the worry the other Titans had felt eased slightly. Assuming that the previous night had been a fluke, they decided not to inquire about it—yet.

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A few hours before they were going to leave for Bruce's manor, Raven was walking down the hall to her room when she was suddenly roughly pulled into Terra's room.

"What's going on?" Raven demanded. Both Starfire and Terra were in the room.

"Sorry, but it's an emergency," Terra said.

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To my reviewers:

TeenTitansGirl14: I agree with you about using names from different languages is a good idea. I use that method for the names I create in my other stories as well. I think it's cool you use Latin, too! I'm also glad you liked the CyRae I hinted at. Cyborg just might save Raven later… but I'm not sure yet. (I'm really big on girl power, so I usually have the girls rescue the guys. lol) Anyway, I hope the 'spacers' in this chapter are like what you mentioned. If they're not, let me know. waves both flags Thanks for the review!

Aya Sadaka(): I definitely agree with you about cliffhangers! I'm happy you liked it, though! Thanks!

ShadowShard(): I hope you liked this chapter. I think who Raven does/does not end up with will be at least partially surprising to everyone. But, of course, I could be wrong. Anyway, I did enjoy creating/researching the conversation between Cyborg and Raven. Thank you very much for the compliments. I am worried Raven got a bit OOC in this chapter. What do you think?

TobleroneQu3en(): Thanks so much! I'm very pleased you liked it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. 


	10. Cheers

Raven looked at the Terra at Starfire for the first time, and actually had to bite back a laugh. They had attempted to put on makeup, 'attempted' being the key word. To say the least, the cosmetics did not seem to agree with them. They almost looked like clowns.

Raven swallowed the laugh that had risen in her throat again, forcing her face to remain neutral. "What happened to you?"

"Neither of us know how to put on makeup, okay?" Terra complained.

"That I can see," Raven replied. "But I saw you with makeup on the day I came to get you," she said to Terra.

Terra looked down, like a child caught in a lie. "Yeah, I have to get it professionally done. I never could do it myself…"

"Okay, but why did you pull me in here? What makes you think _I_ know how to put that stuff on?"

Starfire's eyes widened. "You mean, you do not know? What are we going to do now?!" Raven couldn't believe that Starfire was beginning to panic over something like cosmetics.

She sighed. "I didn't say that." Taking a tissue, she began to carefully wipe off the damage Starfire and Terra had done to themselves, then carefully reapplied, in lighter amounts, the makeup to match their dresses.

Terra had chosen a pure white spaghetti-strap dress that cut off above her knees. The neckline and straps were decorated with white flowers that had a pearl in the center of each. Her shoes were white platform sandals. Raven applied gloss to Terra's lips, a pale skin-colored eye shadow to her eyes, and a hint of blush to her cheeks.

Starfire was in a rose red satin dress with a slit on both sides so she could walk. It was strapless and fell to her feet. She wore simple red high-heeled shoes. Raven used a dark red lipstick for Starfire, a soft pink eye shadow, and used a lotion to make her cheeks shine.

As Raven was applying the cosmetics, Terra asked, "Okay, how _do_ you know how to do this?"

Raven gave her a sad smile. "I used to watch my mom put on her makeup when I was little. A couple times she put some on me, though I didn't like it much."

"Oh," Terra said quietly. "Sorry to bring it up."

"That's okay. Sometimes it's nice to remember the better times without the bad."

Raven helped Starfire put her hair into a bun, leaving two bangs hanging down to rest against cheeks. They then helped Terra curl her hair into loose ringlets.

Searching through the large jewelry box in the room, Raven pulled out two necklaces. For Terra, a single pearl teardrop on a thin gold chain. The other, for Starfire, was a string of small rubies. Raven put them on and led the girls to the mirror.

"Thank you, friend Raven! We look most wonderful thanks to you!" Starfire said gleefully, looking at herself and Terra in the mirror.

"Thanks, Rae. I can't say I'm not surprised that you could do…_this_!" Terra agreed.

"I'm a bit surprised myself." Suddenly a thought came to her. "Wait here," Raven instructed, and left before they could say another word.

Walking down the hall a short way, she stopped in front of Robin's room, where she knew the guys would be putting on their suits, and knocked.

"It's Raven," she said.

"Uh, come in, I guess," Robin replied.

All three boys looked surprised to see her. Raven surveyed their ensembles. All wore tuxedos. Robin's was brown, Beast Boy's black, and Cyborg's white.

Raven approached Beast Boy first, ripping off his clip-on bowtie, and grabbed a real one that lay on the ground, probably thrown there after numerous failed attempts. She swiftly tied it, deliberately making it a bit tight. When he opened his mouth to ask where she had learned to tie a tie, Raven promptly cut him off. "Don't ask," she said.

Robin was next. Raven held out her hand. When he looked confused, she ordered, "Give me the belt." Despite his attempts to hide it, his utility belt was still blatantly noticeable. Robin handed it over.

Raven then tossed both of them a comb.

Cyborg appeared suitable, though when she glanced at him he looked nervous that she would correct something about him as well. Raven only smirked.

"Come," she directed them out of the room and into the hall. "Wait here."

Raven then returned to Terra's room and retrieved the two girls, leading them into the hall. She was pleased with the reaction of the guys, whose mouths hung open. When they had mostly recovered, they began to stammer out compliments.

"Thank friend Raven," Starfire said proudly.

All conversation stopped as their heads turned towards her. She shrugged, mildly embarrassed. "I already told you not to ask."

"Well, let's get going, shall we?" Robin said, cautiously taking Starfire's arm in his.

"But friend Raven has not changed," Starfire protested, blushing at Robin's touch.

"Yeah, Rae, you promised," Terra reminded her.

"You guys go ahead. We shouldn't all be late. I promise I'll be there as soon as I can," Raven suggested, putting up a good argument.

"She has a point," Cyborg stated.

"All right," Terra agreed. "We'll see you there."

With that, they left, and Raven reluctantly went to get ready.

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As Robin and Beast Boy sat next to their beautiful dates, they silently thanked Raven for checking up on them, thinking how unworthy they would have felt if they had come looking like they had planned to.

"Raven better show up," Terra mumbled. Things were not going as planned with Beast Boy. Everyone at the table seemed to be feeling awkward.

"She will come," Starfire said with certainty. "She promised, did she not? Friend Raven would not break her promise."

"Yeah, I guess your right."

As if called, Raven approached their table through an ever-quieting crowd. Many jaws dropped, including those of the Titans.

Raven's dress was of an unknown silky material that was a blend of dark greens, blues, and purples, as if the dress couldn't decide which color it wanted to be. It wrapped around her neck in a high collar, but had a small diamond-shaped cut out above her chest, and a larger one that revealed some of her flat stomach. The length of the gown concealed most of her knee-high black boots. Similar to Starfire's dress, a slit ran up one side of the gown.

She had used the small amount of her mother's makeup she owned to outline her lips a dark crimson, and had added only a touch of light purple eye shadow, only adding that much to feel close to her mother again.

She left her hair down. It was too short to do anything with, anyway.

Starfire broke the shocked silence that had formed from seeing the usually cloaked Raven looking divine in a dress. "Friend Raven! You look magnificent!" Starfire cried, launching herself at her friend.

"Um, thanks," Raven said, relieved as the room resumed conversation, though with many awkward laughs and glances in her direction.

"Wow, Rae, you really went through with it," Terra said. Raven shrugged.

"Raven? Is that really you?" Beast Boy joked, though he was still in awe of her complete transformation.

"Dang, Rae. Must say, I wasn't expecting this," Cyborg said.

"Yes, it's quite a surprise," Robin added.

"Well, now that they're all here," Bruce announced into a microphone on a small stage, and the music that had been playing died down momentarily, "Let us toast to the reuniting of the Teen Titans!" Cheers and the clinking of glass followed the statement. Everyone, including Raven, drank to the future. "Now, let's eat!"

Platters of every type of food imaginable were brought out, even vegan and tofu dishes for Beast Boy.

Raven sat between Terra and Starfire, so they could sit by their dates. Noticing the strained atmosphere, Raven whispered a suggestion to Terra and Starfire. Both, following her advice, asked their dates for a dance. The boys accepted with relieved countenances.

Cyborg was soon asked by one of the many women for a dance as well. "You'll be alright, Rae?" he asked as he was being dragged to the dance floor. Raven nodded.

She politely declined all of the offers she received for a dance, of which there was a surprising amount. Near midnight Raven went out onto the balcony. She had started to feel faint, and had hoped some fresh air would clear her head. But she was forced to grip the railing hard as another wave of dizziness, worse than the last, swept through her. "Damn," she muttered under her breath as her vision stopped swimming.

A chill wind brushed against her skin, making her shiver involuntarily, but it still felt nice.

"Hey, Raven?" Raven nearly jumped at the sound of Robin's voice.

"Yes?"

"You look cold. Here, take my jacket." He started to remove it.

"No, I'm okay. It feels good." When he still looked concerned, she added, "I'll be going back inside in a minute."

"Oh, okay."

"So, how are things going with Starfire?"

"All right, I think," he said, his mood lightening. "She can't really dance, but neither can I." He smiled slightly.

"Then maybe you two ought to learn together," Raven suggested.

"Yeah." His smile faded into a thoughtful frown.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. Well, I guess I'm starting to question how much I really care about her. As if, now that we're together, maybe she's not what I was really looking for. Sorry, that probably sounded confusing. I just can't put how I feel to words."

"I think," Raven said, looking at the stars, "that your just having second thoughts. People have second thoughts about lots of things, relationships included." She looked at him with a small smile, then turned to head back inside. Suddenly she turned back around. "I'm sure everything will work out between you two."

Robin stared at her as the moonlight reflected off her pale skin, making it glow. "You know, you really do look pretty tonight, Rae," he spoke before he realized what he was saying.

Raven gave a small, soft laugh, one of pure humor. "Don't get used to it," she said, the small smile still playing on her lips as she disappeared into the crowd inside.

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To my reviewers:

fiddler jones: Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it!

002(): I'm glad you liked the last two. Hope you enjoyed this one, too!Violett Witch(): Thanks!! I hope you liked this one as well!TeenTitansGirl14: Thank you! The book you mentioned sounds interesting… Anyway, I hope Raven's dress met up to your expectations. Thanks again for all of your input!Raven777: Thanks for reading! I hope you like this chapter, too.DelofDani: Was the cliffhanger what you thought it was? lol. I'm glad you like my story. Thanks for the review!MirandaOtto: Sorry for the torture of waiting. It might not be too much longer before they find out, so don't worry too much. Thank you for R&R-ing! Arrendi: I'm so happy you're enjoying my story. Don't worry about the spelling, but I did have fun creating her, even if she didn't have too large of a part. I'm still debating the ending, but I'll try not to make you cry. That aside, thanks for reviewing!Aya Sadaka(): I was a bit worried that shopping was OOC for Raven, but I hope her reluctance helped with that. Anyway, the BB/Rae was partially intentional, but BB was also the worst hurt. I hope you enjoyed Star and Terra's 'emergency.' Thank you very much for the review. 


	11. Revealing Truths

Once the Titan's had returned home from Bruce's mansion, the girls had pleaded tiredness and gone to bed. The male Titan's could understand Starfire and Terra being tired—they had danced almost the entire night—but Raven had done very little, and yet, if it was possible, she appeared even more exhausted than the other two. All three guys were more than slightly worried for their gothic friend.

In any case, the boys, had not felt the least bit tired, and had sat down around the television after making some popcorn.

During a commercial break, Cyborg finally brought up a topic that was on all of their minds. "The girls sure looked good tonight," he commented. He grinned in remembrance. "Raven was quite a sight." _Wait, what am I saying? Raven's just like a sister to me, isn't she?_ Cyborg asked himself.

"I thought she looked very pretty," Robin commented cautiously, remembering his involuntary comment to her earlier. _Hold it. I'm with Star. Raven saw to that. She said second thoughts were to be expected, but…_Robin tried to quiet his racing thoughts.

"Yeah," Beast Boy said, just as quietly. "She did look…" _Stunning._ He changed the word at the last minute, "…nice." _No, I like Terra, don't I?_ Beast Boy thought to himself.

All of them were shaken out of their thoughts by an explosion on the TV. Their action program had come back on, and none of them had noticed.

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Raven woke the next morning with a splitting headache. She stumbled to her bathroom for some aspirin and grimaced at the number of prescription pill bottles that were in the cabinet. Her hand reached passed the medications for various symptoms—nausea, fatigue, chills, disrupted sleep, even the one for dizziness she had slipped out to get only a few hours before—and reached for the bottle containing migraine pills. Swallowing two with a glass of water, she changed and headed out to get some tea.

No one else was up as she walked into the kitchen.

Sipping from a warm mug on the couch, Raven gave a happy sigh as she closed her eyes, breathing in the aroma of her tea. She opened her eyes when she felt someone sit next to her.

"Hi, Beast Boy," Raven said, a bit surprised to see him up so early, especially after their late night yesterday. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Um, yeah," he said looking down at his feet. But he didn't continue.

"You look tired," Raven commented. "Maybe you should go back to bed."

The green boy shook his head. "I still wouldn't be able to sleep. Last night, I started thinking…" he trailed off. Raven was refrained from teasing him on his last comment only by the serious look on his face. She waited for him to continue. "Raven, I—I don't think I like Terra like everyone thinks I do."

Now Raven was confused. "What?"

He seemed to have trouble saying what he meant. "After Cyborg and I went into your mind through your mirror, and I got to see more of the real you…I think that's when…I…started to like you…as more than a friend."

Raven's face showed absolute surprise. But when she opened her mouth to protest, Beast Boy cut her off. "I know I've been interested in Terra and all, but that was just because, well, she seemed to like me as much as I liked her. I took the first person who showed me feelings in return." His words started to speed up in his nervousness. "I know it was stupid of me. But now, the more time I spend with Terra, the more time I want to spend with you. And seeing you in that dress last night, I kept thinking how much more, well, beautiful, you looked than Terra," he finished, an immense blush covering his cheeks. A blush that matched Raven's own.

"But Beast Boy," Raven protested through her shock, "Terra really cares about you. She needs to be with you, and you with her."

"Why? I know I never should have gone out with her, and I don't want to hurt her feelings, but…"

"No. Beast Boy, listen to me. You two are perfect for each other. Stay together, please." Raven gave a last feeble protest.

"I can't. I think…no, I know…I love y—" Raven fled the room.

_How did that happen?_ she questioned herself. _I didn't mean for us to become anything more than friends._ Raven sat on her bed, head in her hands, completely confused.

A knock sounded on her door. Raven let out a sigh and tried to school her features to their usual calmness. "Come in."

Robin entered tentatively, not having been in Raven's room before. "Yes?" she asked when Robin didn't speak. "Are you having trouble with Star?" Raven prompted.

He considered her words for a moment. "That's one way to put it." He sighed and sat on the bed next to her. He looked at her, his masked eyes locking with her lilac ones. "Remember last night, when you said I was probably just having second thoughts? Well, I think it's more than that."

Raven rose an eyebrow. "I'm sure you'll get over it. You and Star were meant to be together. She really cares about you, Robin."

Robin continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Everything Star does, I find myself…comparing her…to you. The way she smiles, the way she looks at me, everything she says. Last night, as I danced with her, I kept wondering what it would be like to dance with you…"

"Wha—what are you saying?" Raven asked, terrified that she didn't want to know.

"Raven, I lov—" Raven again fled.

_What is going on? Something must be going on._ Raven thought frantically as she walked speedily down the hall. _I'm so confused. Who does the consultant go to when she's the one who needs consulting?_

Raven was so lost in her thoughts that she nearly ran into Cyborg. She sighed in relief. Cyborg could surely help her with her problem. But just as she opened her mouth to talk, Cyborg got a few words in first.

"Raven, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Um…sure," Raven said warily. She tried desperately to quell her worry. He probably just wanted to talk about electronics. Hopefully.

"Okay," he said. "I'm not quite sure how to say this, so…I'll just say it. I—I love you, Rae."

Raven felt her jaw slacken. "As…a sister…right?" She added, almost desperately.

Cyborg shook his head. "No, Rae. I mean it. The other night, I just…couldn't stop thinking about you."

"I-I-I need some time to think," she stammered, still trying to recover from her shock. Raven brushed past the hybrid and rushed to the roof.

Raven sat outside on the edge of the Tower. _What am I going to do?_ She repeatedly thought, cursing herself. Her heart beat hard in her chest, and her breath came a bit short, though she tried her best to will herself calm.

Suddenly alarms sounded below. Raven slowly made her way downstairs. She stood behind the others, still dwelling in her thoughts, as a familiar black and orange mask appeared on the screen.

"Slade?! You're supposed to be in jail!" Robin shouted at his nemesis.

"Please, Robin," came the darkly familiar voice. "As if that cell could hold me."

"If it was that easy to break out of, it certainly took you long enough," Cyborg challenged.

"Oh, I could have escaped any time I wanted. I was simply biding my time…" He said in a confident drawl.

"Biding your time for what, Slade?" Robin demanded.

"To dispose of the only one standing in the way of you becoming my apprentice," Slade replied. The Titans looked at each other. "Tsk tsk, Titans. I expected more from you after all these years. There is only one of you, besides Robin, who poses a threat to me." His eyes locked on the dark girl standing behind the others.

"Raven?" They asked in unison.

"What did you mean by 'biding your time,' Slade?" Robin had not forgotten his earlier words.

"Yeah," Beast Boy added. "If anything, Raven's only gotten stronger after all this time."

A look of mock surprise crossed Slade's face. "She hasn't told you?" He smiled evilly. "She's becoming weaker by the day. Aren't you, Raven?"

Raven said nothing, but visible paled.

"I'll be coming for you soon enough." Slade's image was replaced by a blank screen.

"Friend Raven?" Starfire asked worriedly. "What was Slade speaking of?"

Raven's migraine became a pounding inside her head. Before she could say anything, her vision began to darken and she felt her knees buckle.

Strong arms caught her and carried her gently to the sofa.

"Raven? Raven?" She heard anxious voices calling her.

A hand was laid on her forehead. "She burning up!" Raven thought she recognized Terra's voice.

The sound of footsteps receding followed. When they returned, a cool cloth was arranged on her brow, and she visible calmed.

After a few minutes, Raven felt the pain in her head subside, and sat up slowly.

"Raven, you okay?" Terra asked cautiously.

"I'm feeling a bit better, thanks." Starfire gave Raven a careful hug.

"You're sure you're all right?" Beast Boy persisted, a look of distress on his face.

"You just scared us all half to death!" Cyborg complained, still sounding concerned.

"Yeah. What's going on, Raven?" Robin asked, his own face filled with worry.

Raven reluctantly told her friends about her meeting with the doctor.

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A/N: I'm sorry if characters are OOC. It's the first romance I've ever written, and I'm not sure how the characters would act. Anyway, I hope it wasn't too bad!

To my lovely reviewers:

DarkMystic: I'm glad you like it! Thanks so much for the review!

TeenTitansGirl14: Please don't hurt me. I thought competition might make it more interesting. I am glad you liked Raven's dress in the previous chapter. I hope you're not too upset…

Aya Sadaka(): I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you, but maybe gave you hope? That aside, I want to comment on your good intuition on Terra and Star's 'emergency.'

RavenGhost: Thank you! I'm happy you're enjoying my story. I hope you liked this chapter, too.

ShadowShard(): Um, surprised? Thank you very much for all of the compliments! I don't want to give anything away, but I don't think you have to worry too much.

DelofDani: Yes, Raven's illness is distressing. I hope this chapter was okay. Thanks for the review!

Star1993: Thank you!!! Hope you liked this chapter, too! 


	12. Decision

Raven fell into her bed with mixed emotions. She was relieved that she did not have to hide the truth from her friends any longer, but she was also anxious about their reactions. After all, the reason she had chosen not to tell them was because she had not wanted to be treated any differently; she wanted the time she had left to spend with them not to be filled with caution and worry, but with happiness as they made the best out of the time given to her.

Raven sighed and finally drifted into a tired sleep.

She was the only one who got much sleep that night, as the other Titan's were plagued with worry over their friend's fate.

The next morning, the Titans woke to find that Raven was still in her room. They did their best to remain quiet so she could rest.

Finally, they could not wait any longer and went to Raven's room—only to find her gone.

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Raven woke slowly. The amount of time her mind took to sharpen told her she had been drugged. She looked around the unfamiliar room, finding nothing in it other than herself and the bed she was laying on.

A door that appeared part of the wall opened to admit Slade.

"You're awake. You awoke faster than I expected."

"What do you want with me? Why did you bring me here, instead of just killing me?" Raven demanded.

"Ah, you are speaking of my threat the other night. That was simply part of my plan. I don't mean to kill you unless you become too troublesome."

"Then why—"

"So the Teen Titans will think you are dead and not bother to search for you, allowing me the time to bring out the true power in you."

He did not have to say what he would do with her power. Raven knew that, if he harnessed Anger, he could control everyone and everything.

Lost in her troubled thoughts, she did not notice that Slade had pulled out a gun until she felt the sting of a tranquilizer dart in her neck.

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The Titans stood, shocked, in Raven's room as they finally noticed the deep red stain that covered Raven's bed.

Starfire hid her face in Robin's shoulder. Terra shook her head in disbelief.

"This can't be real," Beast Boy protested to no one in particular.

Cyborg cautiously approached the bed and took a sample of the crimson liquid. Suddenly his face relaxed. "It's not real blood," he said.

"But someone wanted us to think it was," Robin pointed out, relief in his own face. "Slade."

"We must find friend Raven!" Starfire said in alarm.

They nodded in agreement.

"Cyborg. You use the computer to try and track down her location. Or at least narrow down our search to possible sites." The hybrid nodded and the room. "The rest of you, let's split up and search the city…" Suddenly something caught his eye through a crack in the door to the bathroom. Opening it cautiously, he stepped inside quickly followed by the questioning others.

Robin opened the partly opened medicine cabinet, and was just as shocked at his teammates by what he found.

"How long has Raven been hiding this?" Beast Boy asked, taking one of the many bottles and inspecting it.

"We should have noticed sooner," Robin said, examining a couple of bottles in his own hands.

"Obviously these were meant to hide it from us," Terra answered, holding a bottle as well.

"Guys!" they heard Cyborg's call and ran to where he was.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"Did you find her?" Terra inquired.

"Yeah…"

"Well? Where is she?" Beast Boy asked.

"About 3000 miles north of here."

"What?"

"We don't have time to ask how," Robin interrupted the surprised comments. "We know where she is, so let's go."

As the Titans headed for the garage, Robin quietly asked Cyborg, "How long will it take us to reach her?"

"If her location remains the same, about two days."

Robin only nodded grimly.

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Raven had lost track of time. With no windows in the room, she could not judge time by the sun. But she would guess that at least twenty-four hours had passed.

She was becoming noticeably weaker; she knew she had to escape soon, or Slade would win.

Raven walked up to where she guessed the door to be and felt around for the cracks that would reveal exactly where the door was. Finding them, she laid her hands on the door and focused her power into her hands. "Azerath Metreon Zinthos!"

The door flew off its hinges and smashed into the opposite wall.

Raven ran down the hallway she found herself in. Sprinting around the corner, she came to an abrupt halt. A small contingent of Slade's robots were running towards her. She turned around in the hope of retreating only to find more robots charging at her from the way she'd just come.

Raven burst through a door a few feet in front of her to enter a large abandoned laboratory. She used her powers to hold the door closed as the robots crashed against it from the other side.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Raven turned around to see more robots entering from other doors throughout the room.

_Great_, Raven thought sarcastically. She threw up a shield as more tranquilizers were shot at her. The robots continued to shoot until their guns were empty. Then they charged in for direct combat.

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"Come on, Cy. Can't you go any faster?" Beast Boy complained.

"Yes. Friend Raven needs our help," Starfire pleaded.

"I'm going as fast as I can. Wait, Raven's moving," he said, looking at the screen in his arm as it beeped.

"Is that bad?" Robin asked.

"Well, I think she's still in the same building. I can't tell you whether that's good or bad."

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Raven flew into the air to avoid the majority of the robots. But there were plenty of dusty objects for them to climb up to reach her. Several fell from black balls of her energy before one finally knocked Raven down. Knives and swords slashed at her as she tried to get up.

"Azerath Metreon Zinthos!"

Her power erupted like an atomic bomb, destroying everything in the room, and leaving Raven exhausted. She made herself stand up and leave through the one door Slade's robots had not entered through.

Opening the door, Raven was almost blinded by the sun as she stumbled outside, and into an unfamiliar city. Judging by it's lack of people, Raven guessed the city to be abandoned.

Hearing more pounding footsteps, Raven sensed as best she could the direction of the Tower and made her way as quickly as she could in that direction.

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The bleeping resonating from Cyborg's arm suddenly ceased to sound, the red dot on Raven's location suddenly disappearing. The faces of all of the Titan's paled in fear.

"What happened?" Terra demanded.

"I don't know. I can't get a signal from her anymore…"

The dot and beep suddenly returned. All of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"I wonder what happened," Cyborg murmured.

"What does that mean?" Beast Boy pointed to Cyborg's arm, where the red dot was again moving.

"She's heading towards us," Cyborg answered.

"Well, c'mon! Let's go get her!" Terra pronounced.

After nearly another hour of driving, the T-car turned around a corner and Cyborg slammed on the brakes as he and the others stared at the site before them.

Raven, looking sickly pale and thin, hovered above dozens of Slade's robots.

She was not doing well. For every one she brought down, another two seemed to appear. Bloody cuts marred her body, her infamous cape torn.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted, and the Titans charged into battle.

The violet-haired girl turned to look at her friends. And in her moment of distraction received a deep cut in her side.

Raven clamped her hand on the wound and tried to float further out of reach. But her exhaustion, illness, and recent blood loss had drained her energy. Raven felt began to feel lightheaded as she pushed herself higher.

The Titans watched as Raven suddenly passed out in midair.

Beast Boy changed into a large bird and caught Raven as she fell. He dropped her into Cyborg's waiting arms.

"C'mon," the hybrid yelled to the others, who were currently fighting back the robots. "I got her, let's get out of here!"

The Titan's piled back into the T-car and Cyborg left skid marks as he made a quick turn and sped down the street.

Raven slowing came back to consciousness. She opened her eyes to find her head in Terra's lap and the anxious faces of Beast Boy, Starfire, and Robin staring at her.

Raven's eyes abruptly widened. "Stop the car!" she cried.

Cyborg immediately complied. A large hole appeared before them as a result of the laser beam that had been aimed for the speeding car.

The Titan's evacuated the car, taking cover in a nearby alleyway. Raven doubled over in a violent fit of coughing. Her hand came away slick with blood. She attempted to hide it, but the others noticed. She saw sadness in their eyes as they looked at her.

She gave them a hard look in return. "I don't want your pity," she told them. "I lived a better life than I ever thought I could." Her look softened. "Thanks to you." She gave them a confident smile. "I'm not dead yet. And I believe somebody needs to be taught a lesson." The look she gave them advised them not to argue.

"Yeah! Let's go kick Slade's butt!" Terra cried.

"All right," Robin said with a glance in Raven's direction. "Titans, GO!"

They exited the alley to find themselves amongst an army of Slade's robots. So they fought, bringing down a dozen only to find another twelve rushing at them. Robin immediately took down the man controlling the laser. Raven's friends were relieved to see that she was holding her own against her attackers.

Until Slade appeared.

Raven sensed him behind her and turned. He held a gun pointed at her chest, and she knew it did not contain tranquilizers.

"Come with me now, quietly, or I will shoot," Slade ordered.

Raven remained still. She was tempted to choose the latter option; to end the pain, escape from Slade's grasp, and destroy her father hold over her once and for all. She looked at the other Titans, still too involved in fighting their own battles to have notice Slade's appearance. She did not want to leave her friends sooner than she had to. So Raven stood, indecisive, with a gun aimed at her heart.

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To my reviewers:

Arrendi: Wow. Thank you! I'm touched! I'm not certain I'm worthy of all that praise, but I really appreciate it. I'd be honored to read and review your fictions. Thank you so much!

DelofDani: Yes, that's true. I'm glad you found it interesting.

TeenTitansGirl14: Thanks so much! You've been a great help, so I'm glad you like it.

violett witch: Thanks! Obviously I was worried. I'm happy you enjoyed it.

Rachel Faith Black: Thank you very much for the compliments!!

RavenGhost: I'm happy you liked it! Thanks for the review!

002(): Thanks for all of the reviews! Any suggestions?

Aya Sadaka(): The situation is rather humorous. Anyway, I want to thank you for your support. Thank you so much!!!!

1ne 2wo 3hree 4our GO!(): I did and I will continue. I'm glad you like it! Thank you for the review!

Possesed Angel: I'm glad you think so. Thanks!!

DarkMystic: Thanks you! And thanks for the luck, I think I'll need it!

CoRrUpTeR oF mInDs: I'm happy you like it! Hope the wait wasn't too long!

Goddess Grief: Thank you!! I'm sorry, this is my first Teen Titans fic, so I don't have anything else for you to read. But thanks for the review! 


	13. Result

A/N: Sorry it has taken so long. I'm away from home, like I mentioned before, with very little time and Internet access. Anyway, this story is nearing its end, but there is still at least one chapter left after this one. Enjoy!

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Raven made her decision, and was prepared to live—or die—with it.

"Raven!" she heard one of her friends shout, quickly followed by cries from the others. _So_, she thought sadly, _they finally noticed._

Before anyone could act further, Slade was suddenly blown back—by a blast of yellow energy.

The Titans turned to see Saidi heading towards Raven.

"I felt something bad was going to happen, that you were going to make a gravely wrong choice," the small alien girl explained at Raven's questioning look.

Raven pondered Saidi's words a moment before nodding and giving her a small smile of gratitude.

The other Titans joined the two girls.

"Weren't you going home, Saidi?" Terra asked.

"Yes, earlier today. But then I sensed something, so I came here," she explained in her small voice.

"We shall buy delicious foods for you as thanks!" Starfire insisted cheerfully.

When Saidi looked confused, Raven explained, "We'll buy you lunch."

"Oh. As much as I would enjoy eating with you, I miss my home," Saidi politely declined.

Starfire looked disappointed but she understood how the other alien girl felt.

"That's okay, we understand," Robin assured her.

"Have a safe trip," Raven added.

Saidi gave the cloaked girl a weak hug before leaving. Raven thought she saw sadness in the girl's eyes when she looked at her, but was not positive.

"I've contacted the police. They should be her to get Slade in a few minutes," Cyborg said.

"Good. I think we can leave him. That blast knocked him unconscious," Robin said with a glance at Slade's unmoving form.

"He doesn't look like he'll be waking up any time soon, that's for sure," Beast Boy added.

"Hey, Rae? You okay?" Terra asked her sickly-pale friend, who was swaying on her feet.

Raven forced herself to stand still. "Yeah, just tired. Can we just go back to the Tower?"

"Yeah, sure. Let's go," Beast Boy said, looking worried.

They started back towards the T-car, walking at a slow pace for Raven's sake.

The glint of light on metal caught Raven's eye. Turning to get a better look, she felt a searing pain in her shoulder, quickly followed by another in her collarbone. Reaching a hand up, it came away bloody.

Raven's mind only had time for one thought before she collapsed from blood loss.

_I've been shot._

The other Titans had stopped walking as well when Raven had halted, and had watched with horror-stricken faces as first one bullet, then another, struck their friend dangerously close to her heart before a blast from Cyborg's sonic cannon indisposed Slade.

Sunlight again flashed off the gun that fell from the now truly unconscious Slade's grip.

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The Titans gathered around their fallen comrade's bed, gloomy expressions on all of their faces. They grimly viewed the machines and IVs that the frail form on the bed was connected to. Her pale skin nearly as white as the bandages that covered her multiple wounds and contrasted with her dark clothing.

All in the room were anxious, except for the one lying on the bed. Her face, though colorless with the exception of a few bruises, seemed to be mysteriously at peace as she rested in her deep sleep.

"Friend Raven, please, let us help you," Starfire pleaded sadly. She didn't understand much about Raven's condition, but she knew that there had to be something they could do to help their friend.

"Yeah, Rae," Terra agreed, hesitantly taking one of Raven's hand and holding it as if it were made of glass.

Robin sighed. "If only we knew what was going on her mind," he said, more to himself than anyone else.

Nevertheless, everyone heard him—including Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"Hey, guys, there's something BB and I need to show you. Come on. Let's get in the car and we'll explain on the way. The Titans reluctantly left the clean, white building.

After several long minutes of silent driving, Terra's patience finally wore out. "Okay, where are we going? What's going on?"

"Um," Beast Boy started. "We never told you this before, but…"

"There is a way into Raven's mind. BB and I have been there before…"

"Only once," Beast Boy quickly added at the shocked looks from the others.

More time lapsed in stunned silence.

"How?" Robin finally asked as they traversed down the hallway in Titan Tower.

Cyborg opened Raven's door, and Beast Boy went over and picked up the mirror lying on the dresser. "Through this."

"It's a portal into her mind," the hybrid added.

"Well? What are we waiting for?" Terra demanded. "Let's go!"

"What do we have to do?" Robin asked sensibly.

"You just sorta hold it up, like this," Beast Boy demonstrated. "And—"

Black light surrounded the five Titans, and they were pulled into the mirror.

They appeared on the thin, crumbly walkway that Beast Boy and Cyborg recognized from their first trip, but everything was completely unknown to the other three Titans.

"Hey, Ravens! Where are you?" Beast Boy called.

Starfire, Terra, and Robin looked confused.

"Did you just say 'Ravens?'" Robin inquired.

"Yeah. We're in Raven's mind, so all of her personalities are separate Ravens," Cyborg explained.

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess," Robin said slowly. Both girls still seemed puzzled.

A green-cloaked Raven appeared next to them, looking just as ill as their friend. Two bloodstains on her shoulder and collarbone matched Raven's as well.

"Brave, right?" Cyborg asked her.

She nodded. "I know why you're here. Come on," she said, her voice weak with sickness.

The Titans followed Brave through one of the roughly hewn stone archways.

There was a flash of blinding light, and when they regained their vision, Brave was gone. Instead, in front of them they saw Raven's other emotions, sitting or laying on violet stone furniture, obviously drained of energy. And all of them had bloodstains on their cloaks where Raven had been shot.

Orange-cloaked Lazy was lying down with her eyes closed, chest rising and falling rapidly as if she was having difficulty breathing.

The pink-shrouded Happy was sitting in a chair, a hand clutched to her stomach. Her face had a slight tinge of green to it. She managed a weak smile when she saw the Titans.

Raven's other colorful personalities looked just as unwell.

"This way," they heard, and turned to see Brave standing beside another portico. She walked through before she even saw whether or not they were coming.

Starfire followed automatically, quickly trailed by the others.

Their vision cleared more rapidly after the burst of light, and once again Brave was nowhere to be seen. Now they stood before a shining cage of Raven's black energy, with many other colors interwoven within it—one for each of her emotions.

Inside the enclosure was a sight observed by only two of the five who stood before it. A red-cloaked Raven stood with her back to the Titans.

"Friend Raven! We must free her!" Starfire said, determinedly walking towards the cage.

"No, Star!" Cyborg cried, stopping her.

The mysterious figure turned around and glared at them with two pairs of crimson eyes. Her lips twisted into a wicked grin.

"Rage," Beast Boy said quietly.

"Trigon, Raven's father," Cyborg added. "The son of the Devil."

"What are you doing to Raven?" Robin demanded.

The voice that answered was not that of their friend. Rather, it was deeper and filled with hate. It was the voice of Trigon. "My daughter locked me away inside her mind. I am only repaying the favor."

"What do you mean?" Terra asked heatedly.

"She spent three days trapping me in here, in a cage of her energy, her essence. So I have complete access to her life-force, and I intend to use it to teach her a lesson, or until she let's me go."

"Which I will not do." They all turned to see Raven, looking feeble but resolute beneath her violet cloak. Her eyes were only for the one in red. "Because I know what the result would be; you would destroy everything using _my_ powers!"

Rage wrapped a hand around one of the cage bars. Raven fell to her knees, coughing blood into her palm, struggling for breath.

"Raven, let him go. We can beat him!" Cyborg insisted.

"Yeah, just like last time!" Beast Boy said.

"No, he is stronger just as I am weaker," she managed, still trying to regulate her breathing and calm her racing heart. "Now, you must leave. If I die while you are still here, you will perish."

"We'll die, too?" Terra asked.

"No," Raven corrected, her voice hard. "Perish."

"That does not matter to me," Starfire said, surprising them all. "Raven, please, let us help you, just as you have helped all of us."

"But, if Rage is not destroyed…" Raven's resolve was waning.

"We'll get him," Robin assured her.

"He'll get his butt kicked," Beast Boy added.

"Yeah. We got twice as many people this time, too," Cyborg pointed out.

"Yes, Raven. Let me out," Rage prompted evilly.

Terra gave the caged character a fierce look before turning back to her friend. "C'mon, Raven," she encouraged softly.

The five held their breath awaiting Raven's answer, knowing her decision would be final.

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To my reviewers:

Star1993: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. Sorry for the wait. I hope it was worth it!

Arrendi: lol. You're right. I'm glad you've been enjoying the story, and I hope you liked this one, too.

RaVeNfAn123(): I am happy you liked! So sorry it took me so long.

Goddess Grief: Thanks! I check out your story as soon as I get a chance. Thanks again!

caralynne(): Yes, I do know that Terra is evil, but that didn't quite work for this fic. Thank you for the review!

DelofDani: Thanks! Well, we all know Slade is good with machines, so it's up to the reader's imagination to figure out exactly how he did it.

Possesed Angel: I'm happy you've been enjoying my story. Thanks!

lotos-eater: Thanks for the info, I honestly didn't know that. I just copied what was on the site I got the name from. Keep rooting, who knows what will happen—except maybe me.

anti-terra: I'm glad you like my story and I'm sorry for the wait. If I don't finish before I get home, I promise updates will be a lot more frequent. Thank you!!

CoRrUpTeR oF mInDs: I'm delighted! Thanks so much!

dana1313(): Sorry for the cliffhangers, and the wait. I'm on a 'vacation' of sorts. Anyway, I have to say: thank you very much!

Ravenn03: Wow, thank you! I apologize for the waiting, and I hope you liked this chapter, too. Thanks again!!

EarthChild: Thanks! I will keep writing. Enjoy!

LIz: Thanks! Very sorry for the wait!

Aya Sadaka(): I have been thinking a lot about the ending, because, as much as I sometimes hate endings, this fic is coming to a close. The 31st is when I get home, so hopefully I'll get to see those new episodes when they premiere, thanks for the info. Thank you again for everything!

002(): Interesting suggestion. I almost had that happen, actually. But I have both BB/Rae and Cy/Rae and possibly Rob/Rae fans, and I don't want to show any favoritism, at least not yet. Thanks very much, though! I hope what I wrote was adequate!

MirandaOtto: I'm that popular? lol. I'm glad you like the story. Thanks for the reviews!! And I am extremely sorry for the wait.

Orion Kohaishu: Hey! I'm glad you like it. You know I love your stories, too. Hope to hear from you soon!


	14. Final Battle

A tense moment passed, then another. Raven's lavender eyes searched those of her friends, and in the diverse mixture of gazes—blue and green, masked and mechanical—that returned her own, she saw the fear they felt at the possibility of losing her.

Raven bowed her head in submission. She never wanted to hurt her friends, and she had never before realized how much her death would wound them.

Relief replaced the fear in the eyes of the other Titans. Raven forced herself to stand and turned to face Rage. Raising her arm, palm out, towards the cage of her energy, Raven chanted, "Sohtniz Noirtem Htareza."

The cage disappeared, and Rage smiled in triumph. The small crimson-cloaked figure began to grow in size until it towered over them. Shoulder-length white hair was blown back by a strong wind. Four glowing yellow eyes looked down at them.

Trigon reached with surprising speed and seized Raven in a crushing grip. "You will obey me, _daughter_," he spat the last word out as if it were poison.

"Titans, go!" Robin cried, tossing several freeze-disks at the demon.

Trigon knocked them aside with a mere sweep of his free hand.

Cyborg fired his sonic cannon, but, unlike the first time, Trigon did not even blink.

The combined forces of Starfire's bolts and Terra's boulders were enough to cause a distraction, however. With her father's attention away from her, Raven was able to chant "Azerath Metrion Zinthos," and turn into ungraspable vapor and slip from Trigon's clutches.

She rematerialized next to her friends just in time to put a shield up against the quadruple blasts of yellow power that fired from Trigon's eyes.

The black shield flickered and dissipated after the onslaught, and the Titans then fled for cover.

"I need you guys to cover me. I'm going to call my emotions to help," Raven said, looking pale but determined.

"I dunno, Rae," Cyborg said. "You're emotions weren't looking to good when we saw 'em."

"We can't beat Trigon without them," Raven insisted, cutting off further protests.

"We got your back, Rae," Beast Boy said, changing into a large green bird.

"Raven," the voice of her father called wickedly. "You may as well surrender now. I will find you, and you will obey me, or die."

The rocks shielding them from Trigon's sight suddenly exploded into a hailstorm of gravel.

"All right, Titans! Let's get him!" Robin called, and they split up. Beast Boy and Starfire attacked from the air as Cyborg and Robin assailed Trigon from the ground. Terra stood at a distance throwing large pieces of earth.

After checking to assure herself that her friends were not in any immediate danger, Raven closed her eyes and brought each thumb and forefinger together to form a circle. As she chanted indistinguishable words under her breath, her emotions appeared around her in a rainbow of colors—green, yellow, pink, orange, purple, and gray.

Raven, her forehead beaded with sweat, opened her eyes to met those of her emotions. All appeared sick and exhausted.

"Once more," Raven promised them quietly.

Her emotions nodded in unison. Raven again closed her eyes, and when they opened, they glowed a fierce, pure white.

Raven levitated in the air, followed by her emotions, who then began to circle around her, speeding up until it became impossible to discern one from the other.

A flash of white light momentarily caused everyone to freeze, turning to find a white-shrouded Raven watching them with glowing eyes.

"You think you can defeat me as you did the last time we fought?" Trigon asked her in mocking disbelief.

Raven did not answer, only levitated upward until she was eye level with her father.

He growled at her. "When I speak to you, you will answer me, you little mongrel!"

His hand moved faster than she expected, and she was knocked vehemently to the ground. Her head hit against a rock, and she did not get up.

The Titans stared in disbelieving horror at their friend as a trickle of blood began to run down from behind her head, staining the white cloak a bloody crimson.

Anger like they had never felt before caused the Titans to charge carelessly into battle.

Raven felt the trickle of warm blood on the back of her head run down her neck. She forced herself to lie still, trusting her powers to tell her what her eyes could not.

She knew her friends were charging recklessly into a dangerous battle they had no understanding of, but they could still help her defeat her father, though she hated putting them at such risk.

She could also ascertain that her father was gathering his energy for a final, deadly assault. Raven began to gather her energy in response.

"Aim for his heart!" Robin commanded, as they all trained their weapons at the demon's chest.

"As if he has one," Beast Boy muttered, surprisingly serious.

The standing Titans aimed, and Trigon began to raise his hands to blast away his daughter's comrades.

But he never did.

Black and white energy surrounded Trigon, trapping his arms against his body just long enough for the other Titans to make their attack.

Hit with blue and green blasts, Bird-a-rangs and rocks, Trigon was knocked back, where he tripped over a large green turtle, and fell hard on his back.

Raven approached her father, slightly unsteady on her feet; the bloodstain on the back of her white cloak strangely resembling a phoenix.

Black power locked Trigon's hands and ankles to the ground.

"Misbegotten brat! You cannot hold me here for long!"

"I know, father," Raven replied, surprising little malice in her voice.

Her eyes glowed black. "Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos!" she chanted, her voice quiet yet full of raw power. "_Abeo_."

For the first time in her life, Raven saw fear enter her father's eyes, but immeasurable hatred soon replaced the feeling. "You will regret this. One day, you will pay," he said in a deadly quiet voice that was even more frightening in its calm. That was last that Trigon spoke, as his body was consumed in raven-colored energy, and vanished as if into thin air.

"Perhaps, father," Raven finally said, unmoved by her father's final proclamation. Another flash of light, and Raven stood in her usual midnight blue cloak.

"Raven!"

Her friends, finally free of their shock at what had transpired, were at her side immediately. Raven gave them a small smile. "Thank you," she said.

"Anytime, Rae," Cyborg said.

"Yeah, we are always here if you need us," Robin added.

"Hey, we're just glad you're okay," Beast Boy said. "We thought you might be dead."

Raven shook her head. "I told you before, if I died while you were here, you would perish. The fact that nothing happened should have been the first sign that I wasn't dead."

"Oh, right."

Raven hesitated a moment, but then gently laid a comforting hand and Beast Boy's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Thanks for caring," she said in a voice so soft that no one else heard.

"Yes, Friend Raven. We are most happy that you are still alive," Starfire said cheerfully.

"So, Rae, how do we get out of here?" Terra asked.

Raven nodded her agreement that the time had come for them to leave. "This way," she said in her customary monotonous voice, and started walking. She led them to yet another stone archway.

Turning to look at her friends again, she gave them one last smile. "See you on the other side," she said before stepping through and disappearing.

The others followed suite.

Beast Boy, Cyborg, Robin, Starfire, and Terra landed in an uncomfortable pile in Raven's bedroom.

With many groans and complaints, they finally sorted themselves out. And they finally noticed that Raven wasn't with them.

"She must still be at the hospital," Robin concluded.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Beast Boy declared, running for the front door, the others directly behind him.

When the Changeling opened the door, he abruptly stopped, which resulted in the others crashing into him.

"Hey, man! What'd you stop for?" Cyborg demanded.

"He stopped so he would not run into me, I believe," Raven said, standing above the pile of Titans.

"Raven!" Starfire and Terra cried together, jumping up and hugging their friend.

The guys stood as well, relieved that, though still pale and thin, Raven looked noticeably better.

"Welcome back, Rae."

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A/N: In case anyone wants to know, Raven's chant "Sohtniz Noirtem Htareza" is simply "Azerath Metrion Zinthos" backward, and "_Abeo_" is Latin for "to digress; change; vanish, disappear."

To my reviewers:

Arrendi: Better ending this time? I hope you're still enjoying the story, for the end is near.

alibi girl: Sorry for the wait, I hope it was worth it!

Defafaeth Mechqua: I'm going to guess that means you like it. lol. Thanks for the review!

cool(): I'm glad you think so. Hope you liked this chapter, too!MirandaOtto: Thank you for the review! I hope your reunion goes okay.Orion Kohaishu: I think Rage does need a hug. My best wishes go to whoever attempts to give her one though. Good luck with the hw!Ravenn03: Thanks for the suggestion, but that didn't exactly work with my plotline. Thanks a lot for the compliments!Aya Sadaka(): Totally agree with you about endings. I can't wait to read your stories! I hope I make it home in time for the TT premiere… Anywho, I'm glad you've got your cupcake! Thank you for the review!!Eilian Rhoss: Thank you Thank you! I hope you like it!Violett Witch(): Thank you very much! (Love your penname by the way!) 


	15. Life Goes On

A/N: Yes, this is the final chapter! And I'm not going to bore you with my excuses/explanations of why it took me so long to get this short chapter up, I'm just going to say I'm sorry and I hope you enjoy it!

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"Friend Raven, may we speak?"

Raven opened one eye to see Starfire and Terra standing before her. She had been so deep in her meditation she had not even heard them join her on the roof.

"Sure," she replied, standing up from her cross-legged position. The other two girls were happy to see that Raven's health was steadily improving since their battle with Trigon the week before. And she was now less reluctant to show emotion, though she usually remained her quiet self.

"Um, see, I wanted to talk to you about BB," Terra started.

"And I about Robin," Starfire added.

Terra nodded, "Right. See, we know that both of them like you—"

Raven cut her off, "Don't worry, I'm not going to—"

"It's not polite to interrupt," Terra interjected with a small smile. "What we came up here to tell you is that, it's okay."

"Yes, Robin and I have 'broken up.' He is more like an older brother to me. Perhaps both you and I misjudged my feelings from the beginning."

"Yeah, BB and I decided that just being friends was cool. He even called me 'Raven' once."

"But—"

"Let me finish. It's not like we're going to force you to go out with one of them, we just wanted to let you know that it's okay with us." Starfire nodded in agreement.

Raven swallowed her objections, releasing a small sigh, and managed to smile at them. "Thanks, you guys."

Suddenly, she found herself sandwiched between them in a tight embrace.

Raven returned the hug, glad she was alive to continue to do so.

"Come on," Raven said finally, taking a step back to look at them both. The sun was beginning to set. "Let's go back inside."

"Yes, the air is becoming less warming," Starfire agreed.

"Yeah, and the dark is kinda spooky sometimes," Terra added, eyeing their shadowy surroundings. Raven shook her head and chuckled silently, but she gave no reassurances as she held the door open for her friends.

When they entered the living room, the three girls found the other Titans watching the large TV.

"Hey guys," Terra acknowledged them.

"Hello friends!" Starfire said happily.

Turning to find Raven with the other two girls, the guys gave them uncertain smiles, but greeted them in return.

Raven felt all eyes on her. She could sense that all of her friends, especially the guys, had been wondering what she would do about the confessions she'd received, who she would choose.

Not a word left Raven's lips as she headed for her room, but the edges of her mouth lifted into a smile as she left in all of their minds words that they would never forget.

_Life goes on._

_Change is inevitable._

_Never give up hope._

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To my reviewers:

Defafaeth Mechqua: I hope you enjoyed the story. Sorry for the wait on the last chapter!

Ravenn03: Thanks so much! I actually do have an originally story that I wrote, but it's not like it's published or anything. I'm happy you liked it, both of you. Thanks again.

Arrendi: So, what did you think of the ending? I'll warn you, it will probably be a while before I write another TT fic, because ideas usually just come to me, and then I expand on them. I've also got some original works that I'm hoping to put as priority now that this one is done. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! I can't wait to get a chance to read you're stories, the summaries sound good. Thank you again!!!!

violett witch: Thanks! I hope the ending is just as good.

002(): I think I get it. : ) Thank you for all of the reviews!! Sorry for the wait with this last one!

MirandaOtto: Thank you very much!! Sorry I took so long with the final chapter!

Aya Sadaka(): There were too many unanswered questions to stop with the last chapter. I hope you like this one better. Thank you so much for all of your useful reviews!!!

ni9htdreame12: I'm glad you loved it, and I hope you like this last chapter, too. However, it might be a while before I write another Teen Titan fic, sorry!

Orion Kohaishu: Congrats on finishing the hw. And I think I'd choose hugging Rage over doing hw anytime.

A huge thanks to all of my reviewers!!!! I totally appreciated all the reviews. I'll miss you guys and girls!


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